Techniques, hardware, and software are provided for quantification of
extensional features of structures of an imaged subject from image data
representing a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image. In one
embodiment, stenosis in a blood vessel may be quantified from volumetric
image data of the blood vessel. A profile from a selected family of
profiles is fit to selected image data. An estimate of cross sectional
area of the blood vessel is generated based on the fit profile. Area
values may be generated along a longitudinal axis of the vessel, and a
one-dimensional profile fit to the generated area values. An objective
quantification of stenosis in the vessel may be obtained from the area
profile. In some cases, volumetric image data representing the imaged
structure may be reformatted to facilitate the quantification, when the
structural feature varies along a curvilinear axis. A mask is generated
for the structural feature to be quantified based on the volumetric image
data. A curve representing the curvilinear axis is determined from the
mask by center-finding computations, such as moment calculations, and
curve fitting. Image data are generated for oblique cuts at corresponding
selected orientations with respect to the curvilinear axis, based on the
curve and the volumetric image data. The oblique cuts may be used for
suitable further processing, such as image display or quantification.