Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease in which the walls of the heart become thickened or enlarged. According to a genetic study, mutations in 14 genes code for sarcomere proteins, which are declared the primary cause of HCM and affect the functioning of cardiac muscle contractions. Symptoms of HCM include shortness of breath in young athletes, arrhythmias, lack of energy, and sudden cardiac arrest. HCM can be asymptomatic to some extent, and several other diseases also show similar symptoms to HCM, making it difficult to identify the HCM pattern during diagnosis. The most common and critical form of HCM compared to other conditions is HCM of the left ventricle.
Echocardiography also known as heart ultrasound is a diagnosis method of choice for HCM that uses ultrasound waves. The echoes received by different parts are turned into moving pictures in a sequence of images with less information, which may introduce some vulnerability. Consequently, cardiologists spend more time predicting and making decisions. However, ultrasound does not capture all the information needed, nor is it very regular, as it is moved by human hands and depends on the dexterity of the user.
Cardiac MRI is an expensive method, it provides information about the functioning of the heart for the observation, diagnosis and examination of patients with symptoms of cardiovascular illness. In particular, Gadolinium enhanced MRIs are an excellent way of capturing the information needed to track the progress of HCM. However, due to the high cost of MRIs, this method cannot be used regularly. Therefore, one of the best solutions is to use the MRI and register it to multiple ultrasound images that are being conducted. This way, the information from the MRIs can be reflected in the ultrasound, which will help doctors make better decisions while tracking the progress of HCM.
Currently, we have been able to segment the areas that are affected by HCM on ultrasound images. We need to segment the areas of interest in the Gadolinium enhanced MRIs and then reflect those upon the ultrasound images so that the doctors can benefit from the information in both areas.
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Proposed Future Work Details
Future work involves investigation into the following avenues:
