Evaluación de la asimetría mamaria mediante algoritmos de desplazamiento óptico / Breast asymmetry assessment using optical flow algorithms

Antecedentes y Objetivo. La gradación de la simetría es un aspecto fundamental para evaluar un resultado en cirugía mamaria. Los métodos más extendidos de valoración de asimetría se basan en percepciones subjetivas del cirujano o de la paciente, así como en la comparación objetiva de distancias entre puntos de interés tales como la horquilla esternal y el pezón. Utilizar de forma generalizada un método objetivo comportaría ventajas evidentes. El presente trabajo pretende diseñar y contrastar un método de análisis de imagen que permita objetivar el grado de asimetría mamaria en una paciente. Material y método. Basándonos en un algoritmo informático que evalúa el grado de desplazamiento entre dos imágenes similares, desarrollamos una aplicación capaz de cuantificar el grado de desplazamiento que presenta una mama con respecto a la otra, arrojando un resultado numérico que denominamos global breast asymmetry index (GBAI). Calculamos este valor en una serie de 50 pacientes de forma pre y postoperatoria. Comparamos el resultado con otros métodos de evaluación de asimetría tanto objetivos como subjetivos, incluyendo una encuesta a 100 profesionales sanitarios y a un panel de expertos. Resultados. La adaptación de nuestro algoritmo para calcular un índice objetivo de asimetría mamaria muestra un comportamiento similar a la valoración subjetiva de la asimetría por parte del personal sanitario, mejorando otros métodos objetivos y presentándose como una alternativa útil a los métodos tradicionales de comparación de distancias. Conclusiones. El cálculo de desplazamiento óptico es un procedimiento válido y objetivo para cuantificar la asimetría mamaria

Background and Objective. Adequate assessment of symmetry is a critical aspect when evaluating results in breast surgery. Most methods of asymmetry assessment are based on subjective observations by the surgeon or patients, as well as on the objective measurement of distances between key points, such as the sternal notch and the nipple. The widespread use of an objective method would have obvious advantages. We aim to design and test an imaging analysis method that allows to objectively assess the degree of breast asymmetry. Methods. An application has been developed to quantify the degree of disparity between two similar images, based on a computer algorithm. The algorithm was used to compare images of breasts, yielding a numerical result that we named global breast asymmetry index (GBAI). This value was calculated in a series of 50 patients pre- and postoperatively. The result was compared with other asymmetry assessment methods, both objective and subjective, including a survey of 100 health professionals and a panel of experts. Results. The implementation of our algorithm to calculate the breast asymmetry index shows similar results to subjective assessment of asymmetry by health personnel, improving other objective methods and presenting itself as a useful alternative to traditional methods of symmetry assessment. Conclusions. Measurement of optical flow is a valid and objective method of assessment of the degree of breast asymmetry

Mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy in the 6-hydroxydopamine preclinical model of Parkinson's disease.

We discuss the participation of mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy in the 6-hydroxidopamine-induced Parkinson's disease model. The regulation of dynamic mitochondrial processes such as fusion, fission, and mitophagy has been shown to be an important mechanism controlling cellular fate. An imbalance in mitochondrial dynamics may contribute to both familial and sporadic neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease. With special attention we address the role of second messengers as the role of reactive oxygen species and the mitochondria as the headquarters of cell death. The role of molecular signaling pathways, for instance, the participation of Dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1), will also be addressed. Furthermore evidence demonstrates the therapeutic potential of small-molecule inhibitors of mitochondrial division in Parkinson's disease. For instance, pharmacological inhibition of Drp1, through treatment with the mitochondrial division inhibitor-1, results in the abrogation of mitochondrial fission and in a decrease of the number of autophagic cells. Deciphering the signaling cascades that underlie mitophagy triggered by 6-OHDA, as well as the mechanisms that determine the selectivity of this response, will help to better understand this process and may have impact on human treatment strategies of Parkinson's disease.