Correlating arterial morphology and cerebral aneurysms

In recent years it has been shown that hemodynamic stresses are the initiating factor of both the development of cerebral aneurysms and their eventual rupture. Specifically, elevated wall shear stresses and its gradients above physiological values cause a cascade of arterial remodeling. There is a clinical hypothesis for a correlation between arterial morphology  and aneurysms risk and that it may be used to predict whether an individual will develop an aneurysm. To test this hypothesis, we will first study Circle of Willis morphology, reconstruct the 3D anatomy and identify their centerlines, and model the hemodynamics in an automated framework. The  resultant location of elevated wall shear stresses and their gradients will be compared to anatomical features of the vessel, such as curvedness and diameter, to identify correlation between the morphology and the aneurysm initiation location. These results will indicate if a follow-up is needed and when to intervene to prevent rupture.