Abstract Background: Pediatric neuroimaging presents unique challenges stemming from ongoing brain maturation and limited patient cooperation. While conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a cornerstone, it exhibits inherent limitations in providing the rapid, comprehensive quantitative data essential for nuanced clinical decisions. Synthetic MRI (SyMRI) has emerged as a transformative paradigm, capable of generating multiple contrast-weighted images and quantitative volumetric maps from a single, temporally efficient acquisition. This research aims to rigorously evaluate the accuracy and reliability of SyMRI-derived volumetry against a manual reference standard and expert radiological assessment in a pediatric cohort. Material and Methods: This retrospective analysis included a total number of up to 124 pediatric patients (age 0-18.1 years) who underwent cranial MRI. Automated SyMRI derived volumes for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), brain parenchymal volume (BPV), and intracranial volume (ICV) were compared against a gold-standard of expert-corrected manual segmentation using paired t-tests and Pearson correlation. Furthermore, the concordance between automated SyMRI-based hydrocephalus classifications and subjective binary ratings from five pediatric radiologists was assessed using Cohen's and Fleiss' Kappa statistics. Results: Automated SyMRI measurements yielded systematically, albeit slightly, higher volumes compared to manual segmentation for all compartments (CSF: p=0.005; BPV and ICV: p
Comprehensive analysis of synthetic MRI in pediatric brain volumetry and hydrocephalus assessment: an in-depth evaluation
Weiss, V. A. K. (Autor/-in). 2026
Studienabschlussarbeit: Dissertation