LASSNet: A Four Steps Deep Neural Network for Left Atrial Segmentation and Scar Quantification

Accurate quantification of left atrium (LA) scar in patients with atrial fibrillation is essential to guide successful ablation strategies. Prior to LA scar quantification, a proper LA cavity segmentation is required to ensure exact location of scar. Both tasks can be extremely time-consuming and are subject to inter-observer disagreements when done manually. We developed and validated a deep neural network to automatically segment the LA cavity and the LA scar. The global architecture uses a multi-network sequential approach in two stages which segment the LA cavity and the LA Scar. Each stage has two steps: a region of interest Neural Network and a refined segmentation network. We analysed the performances of our network according to different parameters and applied data triaging. 200+ late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance images were provided by the LAScarQS 2022 Challenge. Finally, we compared our performances for scar quantification to the literature and demonstrated improved performances.