Automatic segmentation and modeling of the aortic vessel tree: Overview of the SEG.A 2023 aorta segmentation challenge.

Jin, Yuan; Pepe, Antonio; Melito, Gian Marco; Chen, Yuxuan; Ma, Gege; Byeon, Yunsu; Kim, Hyeseong; Kim, Kyungwon et al. · Med Image Anal · 2026

other · Level V

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Abstract

The automated analysis of the aortic vessel tree (AVT) from computed tomography angiography (CTA) is crucial for clinical applications but lacks shared, high-quality data. To address this, we launched the SEG.A. challenge, introducing a large, public, multi-institutional dataset for AVT segmentation and benchmarking automated algorithms. The challenge results showed a strong trend toward deep learning, with 3D U-Net architectures being most effective. The winning solution used an ensemble-based strategy, highlighting the value of model ensembling for robust AVT segmentation. Performance strongly correlated with algorithmic design, notably the use of customized post-processing and training data characteristics. This initiative establishes a new performance benchmark and provides a lasting resource to drive future innovation toward robust, clinically translatable AVT analysis tools.