feature tracking
Post-processing technique that analyzes myocardial deformation by tracking tissue features across cardiac phases in standard cine images.
Full Definition
Feature tracking is a post-processing computational technique used in cardiac imaging to assess myocardial strain and deformation without requiring specialized pulse sequences. The method tracks distinctive tissue features or patterns within the myocardium across multiple phases of the cardiac cycle using standard cine MRI or echocardiographic images. This technique provides quantitative measurements of regional and global cardiac function, including strain parameters, without the need for contrast agents or tissue tagging sequences. Feature tracking has become increasingly important for detecting subtle cardiac dysfunction.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: 'feature-tracking analysis.'
In Context
- "Feature tracking analysis revealed reduced circumferential strain in the inferolateral segments." — Cardiac MRI strain report
- "The feature tracking software automatically generated strain curves from the cine images." — Post-processing workflow