A method for processing image data representing a three-dimensional volume, the data comprising image values for a three-dimensional grid of voxels, the method comprising the steps of: a) starting from a given voxel building up an individual vector path along a first dimension (z) of the three dimensional volume, connecting a number of voxels of two-dimensional slices of the grid adjacent in the first dimension, the connected voxels representing a structural neighborhood of the given voxel, which is a spatial neighborhood of the given voxel, including the voxels of the three-dimensional grid that are structurally related to the given voxel; b) starting from a given voxel building up an individual vector path along a second dimension (y) of the three dimensional volume, the second dimension (y) being different from the first dimension (z), connecting a number of voxels of two-dimensional slices of the grid adjacent in the second dimension, the connected voxels representing a structural neighborhood of the given voxel, which is a spatial neighborhood of the given voxel, including the voxels of the three-dimensional grid that are structurally related to the given voxel; c) starting from a given voxel building up an individual vector path along a third dimension (x) of the three dimensional volume, the third dimension (x) being different from the first and the second dimensions (z, y), connecting a number of voxels of two-dimensional slices of the grid adjacent in the third dimension, the connected voxels representing a structural neighborhood of the given voxel, which is a spatial neighborhood of the given voxel, including the voxels of the three-dimensional grid that are structurally related to the given voxel; d) averaging image values of voxels of the vector paths (10, 20, 30) to obtain an averaged value (4, 7, 40), assigned to the given voxel position; e) repeating steps a) to d) for a number of voxels. a) starting from a given voxel building up an individual vector path along a first dimension (z) of the three dimensional volume, connecting a number of voxels of two-dimensional slices of the grid adjacent in the first dimension, the connected voxels representing a structural neighborhood of the given voxel, which is a spatial neighborhood of the given voxel, including the voxels of the three-dimensional grid that are structurally related to the given voxel; b) starting from a given voxel building up an individual vector path along a second dimension (y) of the three dimensional volume, the second dimension (y) being different from the first dimension (z), connecting a number of voxels of two-dimensional slices of the grid adjacent in the second dimension, the connected voxels representing a structural neighborhood of the given voxel, which is a spatial neighborhood of the given voxel, including the voxels of the three-dimensional grid that are structurally related to the given voxel; c) starting from a given voxel building up an individual vector path along a third dimension (x) of the three dimensional volume, the third dimension (x) being different from the first and the second dimensions (z, y), connecting a number of voxels of two-dimensional slices of the grid adjacent in the third dimension, the connected voxels representing a structural neighborhood of the given voxel, which is a spatial neighborhood of the given voxel, including the voxels of the three-dimensional grid that are structurally related to the given voxel; d) averaging image values of voxels of the vector paths (10, 20, 30) to obtain an averaged value (4, 7, 40), assigned to the given voxel position; e) repeating steps a) to d) for a number of voxels.