MRI-based Deep Learning Models for Preoperative Breast Volume and Density Assessment Assisting Breast Reconstruction

The volume of the implant is the most critical element of breast reconstruction, so it is necessary to accurately assess the preoperative volume of the healthy and affected breasts and select the appropriate implant for placement. Accurate and automated methods for quantitative assessment of breast volume can optimize breast reconstruction surgery and assist physicians in clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to develop an artificial intelligence model for automated segmentation of the breast and measurement of volume.

A total of 249 subjects undergoing breast reconstruction surgery were enrolled in this study. Subjects underwent preoperative breast MRI, and the breast region manually outlined by the imaging physician served as the gold standard for volume measurement by the automated segmentation model. In this study, we developed three automated algorithms for automatic segmentation of breast regions, including a simple alignment model, an alignment dynamic encoding model, and a deep learning model. The volumetric agreement between the three automated segmentation algorithms and the breast regions manually segmented by imaging physicians was evaluated by calculating the mean square error (MSE) and intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC), and the reproducibility of the automated segmentation of the breast regions was assessed by the test–retest step.

The three breast automated segmentation models developed in this study (simple registration model, dynamic programming model, and deep learning model) showed strong ICC with manual segmentation of the breast region, with MSEs of 1.124, 0.693, and 0.781, and ICCs of 0.975 (95% CI, 0.869–0.991), 0.986 (95% CI, 0.967–0.996), and 0.983 (95% CI, 0.961–0.992), respectively. Regarding the test–retest results of breast volume, the dynamic programming model performed the best with an MSE of 0.370 and an ICC of 0.993 (95% CI, 0.982–0.997), followed by the deep learning algorithm with an MSE of 0.741 and an ICC of 0.983 (95% CI, 0.956–0.993), and the simple registration algorithm with an MSE of 0.763 and an ICC of 0.982 (95% CI, 0.949–0.993). The reproducibility of the breast region segmented by the three automated algorithms was higher than that of manual segmentation by different radiologists.

The three automated breast segmentation algorithms developed in this study generate accurate and reliable breast regions, enable highly reproducible breast region segmentation and automated volume measurements, and provide a valuable tool for surgical selection of appropriate prostheses.

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