By Ebba Ritzen
Swelling or bulging of the body’s main blood vessel can lead to dissection or rupture, which is often fatal. New research at Imperial College London will use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse which aneurysms are most likely to rupture, which could lead to better monitoring and save more lives. The research project has received a Novel and Emerging Technologies Grant of £220,000 from Heart Research UK. The aorta is the main blood vessel in the body and a thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a swelling or bulging of the aorta in the chest. Although a TAA can remain stable in the body for years, once it grows beyond a certain point there’s a risk of an aortic dissection or rupture. Both these events can be fatal.
Despite being a rare condition, aortic dissection kills more people in the UK each year than road traffic accidents. Around one third of cases of aortic dissection are misdiagnosed and 50% of people die before reaching a specialist centre. This is why it’s very important that patients with TAA are monitored closely.
If the aneurysm is small, surveillance through scans is recommended, but if it’s bigger than 5.4cm the patient is often offered surgery to replace that section of the aorta. But the decision to have surgery is difficult and involves deciding whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Also, 60% of aneurysms have been found to rupture below the size cut off point. As these acute conditions are life-threatening, improvements in surveillance are needed.
Professor O’Regan and his team will use AI technology to analyse CT scans of thoracic aortas and generate 3D images. Not only will this give more accurate measurement of aneurysms, but it will also allow clinicians to establish which section of the aorta is under the most stress. Additionally, using data from thousands of patients with TAAs, the team hopes that the AI technology will be able to predict which aneurysms are at the greatest risk of dissection or rupture.
Professor O’Regan said:
“We’re pleased to have received a grant from Heart Research UK for this research, which will have major benefits to both patients and healthcare professionals.
“For patients, it will reduce anxiety around aneurysms and allow them to make more informed decisions about surgery if the time comes. For healthcare services, it will enable more accurate and efficient analysis of scans that will greatly benefit the NHS screening and surveillance programmes, ultimately with the view to decrease the number of acute aortic events and save lives.”
Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said:
“This is a project that is highly deserving of one of our Novel and Emerging Technologies Grants. The project is using some of the latest and most innovative developments and ultimately aims to decrease the number of acute aortic events and save more lives.”