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Zheng TL, Sha JC, Deng Q, Geng S, Xiao SY, Yang WJ, Byrne CD, Targher G, Li YY, Wang XX, Wu D, Zheng MH. Object detection: A novel AI technology for the diagnosis of hepatocyte ballooning. Liver Int 2024; 44:330-343. [PMID: 38014574 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has reached epidemic proportions worldwide and is the most frequent cause of chronic liver disease in developed countries. Within the spectrum of liver disease in MAFLD, steatohepatitis is a progressive form of liver disease and hepatocyte ballooning (HB) is a cardinal pathological feature of steatohepatitis. The accurate and reproducible diagnosis of HB is therefore critical for the early detection and treatment of steatohepatitis. Currently, a diagnosis of HB relies on pathological examination by expert pathologists, which may be a time-consuming and subjective process. Hence, there has been interest in developing automated methods for diagnosing HB. This narrative review briefly discusses the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for diagnosing fatty liver disease pathology over the last 30 years and provides an overview of the current research status of AI algorithms for the identification of HB, including published articles on traditional machine learning algorithms and deep learning algorithms. This narrative review also provides a summary of object detection algorithms, including the principles, historical developments, and applications in the medical image analysis. The potential benefits of object detection algorithms for HB diagnosis (specifically those combined with a transformer architecture) are discussed, along with the future directions of object detection algorithms in HB diagnosis and the potential applications of generative AI on transformer architecture in this field. In conclusion, object detection algorithms have huge potential for the identification of HB and could make the diagnosis of MAFLD more accurate and efficient in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Lei Zheng
- School of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China
- Artificial Intelligence Unit, Department of Medical Equipment Management, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jun-Cheng Sha
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Qian Deng
- Department of Histopathology, Ningbo Clinical Pathology Diagnosis Center, Ningbo, China
| | - Shi Geng
- Artificial Intelligence Unit, Department of Medical Equipment Management, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Shu-Yuan Xiao
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Yang
- Department of Pathology, the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Christopher D Byrne
- Southampton National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, and University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Giovanni Targher
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
- IRCSS Sacro Cuore - Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy
| | - Yang-Yang Li
- Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiang-Xue Wang
- Institute for AI in Medicine, School of Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China
| | - Ming-Hua Zheng
- MAFLD Research Center, Department of Hepatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Institute of Hepatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment for the Development of Chronic Liver Disease in Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China
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Turashvili G, Gjeorgjievski SG, Wang Q, Ewaz A, Ai D, Li X, Badve SS. Intraoperative assessment of axillary sentinel lymph nodes by telepathology. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 202:423-434. [PMID: 37688667 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07101-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although axillary dissection is no longer indicated for many breast cancer patients with 1-2 positive axillary sentinel lymph nodes (ASLN), intraoperative ASLN assessment is still performed in many institutions for patients undergoing mastectomy or neoadjuvant therapy. With recent advancements in digital pathology, pathologists increasingly evaluate ASLN via remote telepathology. We aimed to compare the performance characteristics of remote telepathology and conventional on-site intraoperative ASLN assessment. METHODS Data from ASLN evaluation for breast cancer patients performed at two sites between April 2021 and October 2022 was collated. Remote telepathology consultation was conducted via the Aperio eSlideManager system. RESULTS A total of 385 patients were identified during the study period (83 telepathology, 302 on-site evaluations). Although not statistically significant (P = 0.20), the overall discrepancy rate between intraoperative and final diagnoses was slightly higher at 9.6% (8/83) for telepathology compared with 5.3% (16/302) for on-site assessment. Further comparison of performance characteristics of ASLN assessment between telepathology and conventional on-site evaluation revealed no statistically significant differences between deferral rates, discrepancy rates, interpretive or sampling errors, major or minor disagreements, false negative or false positive results as well as clinical impact and turn-around time (P ≥ 0.12). CONCLUSION ASLN assessment via telepathology is not significantly different from conventional on-site evaluation, although it shows a slightly higher overall discrepancy rate between intraoperative and final diagnoses (9.6% vs. 5.3%). Further studies are warranted to ensure accuracy of ASLN assessment via telepathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulisa Turashvili
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Sandra Gjorgova Gjeorgjievski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Abdulwahab Ewaz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Di Ai
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Xiaoxian Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sunil S Badve
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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Kaushal RK, Yadav S, Sahay A, Karnik N, Agrawal T, Dave V, Singh N, Shah A, Desai SB. Validation of Remote Digital Pathology based diagnostic reporting of Frozen Sections from home. J Pathol Inform 2023; 14:100312. [PMID: 37214151 PMCID: PMC10192998 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpi.2023.100312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the promising applications of whole-slide imaging (WSI) for frozen section (FS) diagnosis, its adoption for remote reporting is limited. Objective To assess the feasibility and performance of home-based remote digital consultation for FS diagnosis. Material & Method Cases accessioned beyond regular working hours (5 pm-10 pm) were reported simultaneously using optical microscopy (OM) and WSI. Validation of WSI for FS diagnosis from a remote site, i.e. home, was performed by 5 pathologists. Cases were scanned using a portable scanner (Grundium Ocus®40) and previewed on consumer-grade computer devices through a web-based browser (http://grundium.net). Clinical data and diagnostic reports were shared through a google spreadsheet. The diagnostic concordance, inter- and intra-observer agreement for FS diagnosis by WSI versus OM, and turnaround time (TAT), were recorded. Results The overall diagnostic accuracy for OM and WSI (from home) was 98.2% (range 97%-100%) and 97.6% (range 95%-99%), respectively, when compared with the reference standard. Almost perfect inter-observer (k = 0.993) and intra-observer (k = 0.987) agreement for WSI was observed by 4 pathologists. Pathologists used consumer-grade laptops/desktops with an average screen size of 14.58 inches (range = 12.3-17.7 inches) and a network speed of 64 megabits per second (range: 10-90 Mbps). The mean diagnostic assessment time per case for OM and WSI was 1:48 min and 5:54 min, respectively. Mean TAT of 27.27 min per case was observed using WSI from home. Seamless connectivity was observed in approximately 75% of cases. Conclusion This study validates the role of WSI for remote FS diagnosis for its safe and efficient adoption in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Kumar Kaushal
- Corresponding author at: Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Dr Ernest Borges Marg, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, India.
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Kantasiripitak C, Laohawetwanit T, Apornvirat S, Niemnapa K. Validation of whole slide imaging for frozen section diagnosis of lymph node metastasis: A retrospective study from a tertiary care hospital in Thailand. Ann Diagn Pathol 2022; 60:151987. [PMID: 35700561 DOI: 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2022.151987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of whole slide imaging (WSI) for frozen section (FS) diagnosis is helpful, particularly in the context of pathologist shortages. However, there is minimal data on such usage in resource-limited settings. This study aims to validate the use of WSI for FS diagnosis of lymph node metastasis using a low-cost virtual microscope scanner with consumer-grade laptops at a tertiary care hospital in Thailand. METHODS FS slides were retrieved for which the clinical query was to evaluate lymph node metastasis. They were digitized by a virtual microscope scanner (MoticEasyScan, Hong Kong) using up to 40× optical magnification. Three observers with different pathology experience levels diagnosed each slide, reviewing glass slides (GS) followed by digital slides (DS) after two weeks of a wash out period. WSI and GS diagnoses were compared. The time used for scanning and diagnosis of each slide was recorded. RESULTS 295 FS slides were retrieved and digitized. The first-time successful scanning rate was 93.6 %. The mean scanning time was 2 min per slide. Both intraobserver agreement and interobserver agreement of WSI and GS diagnoses were high (Cohen's K; kappa value >0.84). The time used for DS diagnosis decreased as the observer's experience with WSI increased. CONCLUSIONS Despite varying pathological experiences, observers using WSI provided accurate FS diagnoses of lymph node metastasis. The time required for DS diagnoses decreased with additional observer's experience with WSI. Therefore, a WSI system containing low-cost scanners and consumer-grade laptops could be used for FS services in hospital laboratories lacking pathologists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thiyaphat Laohawetwanit
- Division of Pathology, Thammasat University Hospital, Pathum Thani, Thailand; Division of Pathology, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
| | - Sompon Apornvirat
- Division of Pathology, Thammasat University Hospital, Pathum Thani, Thailand; Division of Pathology, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Kongkot Niemnapa
- Advanced Digital Simulation Center, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
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Zhu J, Liu M, Li X. Progress on deep learning in digital pathology of breast cancer: a narrative review. Gland Surg 2022; 11:751-766. [PMID: 35531111 PMCID: PMC9068546 DOI: 10.21037/gs-22-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Pathology is the gold standard criteria for breast cancer diagnosis and has important guiding value in formulating the clinical treatment plan and predicting the prognosis. However, traditional microscopic examinations of tissue sections are time consuming and labor intensive, with unavoidable subjective variations. Deep learning (DL) can evaluate and extract the most important information from images with less need for human instruction, providing a promising approach to assist in the pathological diagnosis of breast cancer. To provide an informative and up-to-date summary on the topic of DL-based diagnostic systems for breast cancer pathology image analysis and discuss the advantages and challenges to the routine clinical application of digital pathology. METHODS A PubMed search with keywords ("breast neoplasm" or "breast cancer") and ("pathology" or "histopathology") and ("artificial intelligence" or "deep learning") was conducted. Relevant publications in English published from January 2000 to October 2021 were screened manually for their title, abstract, and even full text to determine their true relevance. References from the searched articles and other supplementary articles were also studied. KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS DL-based computerized image analysis has obtained impressive achievements in breast cancer pathology diagnosis, classification, grading, staging, and prognostic prediction, providing powerful methods for faster, more reproducible, and more precise diagnoses. However, all artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted pathology diagnostic models are still in the experimental stage. Improving their economic efficiency and clinical adaptability are still required to be developed as the focus of further researches. CONCLUSIONS Having searched PubMed and other databases and summarized the application of DL-based AI models in breast cancer pathology, we conclude that DL is undoubtedly a promising tool for assisting pathologists in routines, but further studies are needed to realize the digitization and automation of clinical pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjin Zhu
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Department of Pathology, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiru Li
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
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A comprehensive review of computer-aided whole-slide image analysis: from datasets to feature extraction, segmentation, classification and detection approaches. Artif Intell Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10462-021-10121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Girolami I, Neri S, Eccher A, Brunelli M, Hanna M, Pantanowitz L, Hanspeter E, Mazzoleni G. Frozen section telepathology service: Efficiency and benefits of an e-health policy in South Tyrol. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221116776. [PMID: 35923756 PMCID: PMC9340333 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221116776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective/Background Telepathology has been widely adopted to allow intraoperative pathology
examinations to be performed remotely and for obtaining second opinion
teleconsultation. In the Italian northern region of South Tyrol, the
widespread geographical distances and consequent cost for the health system
of having a travelling pathologist cover intraoperative consultations in
peripheral hospitals was a key driver for the implementation of a
telepathology system. Methods In 2010, four Menarini D-Sight whole slide scanners to digitize entire
pathology slides were placed in the peripheral hospitals of Merano,
Bressanone, Brunico, and in the hub hospital of Bolzano. Digital
workstations were also installed to allow pathologists to remotely perform
intraoperative consultations with digital slides. This study reviews the
outcome after 12 years of telepathology for this intended clinical use. Results After an initial validation phase with 100 cases which yielded a sensitivity
of 65% (CI 43–84%) and specificity of 100% (CI 95–100%), there were 2058
intraoperative consultations handled by telepathology. The cases evaluated
were mainly breast sentinel lymph nodes, followed by urological,
gynecological and general surgical pathology frozen section specimens. There
were no false-positive cases and 165 (8%) false-negative cases, yielding an
overall sensitivity and specificity of 65% (CI 61–69%) and 100% (CI
99–100%), respectively. Conclusion Telepathology is reliable for remote intraoperative diagnosis and, despite
technical issues and initial acquaintance issues, proved beneficial for
patient care in satellite hospitals, improved standardization, promoted
innovation, and resulted in cost savings for the health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Girolami
- Department of Pathology, Provincial Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
| | - Stefania Neri
- Department of Pathology, Provincial Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
| | - Albino Eccher
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Matteo Brunelli
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mattew Hanna
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Liron Pantanowitz
- Department of Pathology & Clinical Labs, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Esther Hanspeter
- Department of Pathology, Provincial Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
| | - Guido Mazzoleni
- Department of Pathology, Provincial Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
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Wang W, van Wijngaarden J, Wang H, Buljac-Samardzic M, Yuan S, van de Klundert J. Factors Influencing the Implementation of Foreign Innovations in Organization and Management of Health Service Delivery in China: A Systematic Review. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2021; 1:766677. [PMID: 36926484 PMCID: PMC10012679 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2021.766677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Background: China has been encouraged to learn from international innovations in the organization and management of health service delivery to achieve the national health reform objectives. However, the success and effectiveness of implementing innovations is affected by the interactions of innovations with the Chinese context. Our aim is to synthesize evidence on factors influencing the implementation of non-Chinese innovations in organization and management of health service delivery in mainland China. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched seven databases for peer-reviewed articles published between 2009 and 2020. Data were analyzed and combined to generate a list of factors influencing the implementation of foreign innovations in China. The factors were classified in the categories context, system, organization, innovation, users, resources, and implementation process. Results: The 110 studies meeting the inclusion criteria revealed 33 factors. Most supported by evidence is the factor integration in organizational policies, followed by the factors motivation & incentives and human resources. Some factors (e.g., governmental policies & regulations) were mentioned in multiple studies with little or no evidence. Conclusion: Evidence on factors influencing the implementation of foreign innovations in organization and management of health service delivery is scarce and of limited quality. Although many factors identified in this review have also been reported in reviews primarily considering Western literature, this review suggests that extrinsic motivation, financial incentives, governmental and organizational policies & regulations are more important while decentralization was found to be less important in China compare to Western countries. In addition, introducing innovations in rural China seems more challenging than in urban China, because of a lack of human resources and the more traditional rural culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Wang
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen van Wijngaarden
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hujie Wang
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martina Buljac-Samardzic
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Shasha Yuan
- Institute of Medical Information and Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Joris van de Klundert
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract
Whole slide imaging (WSI), ever since its first introduction about two decades ago, has been validated for a number of applications in the field of pathology. The recent approval of US FDA to a WSI system for use in primary surgical pathology diagnosis has opened avenues for wider acceptance and application of this technology in routine practice. The ongoing technological advances in digital scanners, image visualization methods, and the integration of artificial intelligence-derived algorithms with these systems provide opportunities of its newer applications. Its benefits are innumerable such as ease of access through internet, avoidance of physical storage space, and no risk of deterioration of staining quality or breakage of slides to name a few. Various barriers such as the high cost, technical glitches, and professional hesitation to adopt a new technology have hindered its use in pathology. This review article summarizes the technical aspects of WSI, its applications in diagnostic pathology, training, and research along with future perspectives. It highlights the benefits, limitations, and challenges delaying the use of this technology in routine practice. The review is targeted at students, residents, and budding pathologists to better acquaint them with the key aspects of state-of-the-art technology and enable them to implement WSI judiciously.
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Sharma A, Vyas PG. Practicing Surgical Pathology at a Distance, Need of the Hour: Our Experience of a Single Tertiary Care Referral Cancer Centre Observational Study from Western India During Covid-19 Pandemic. Indian J Surg Oncol 2021; 12:611-615. [PMID: 34421278 PMCID: PMC8365274 DOI: 10.1007/s13193-021-01423-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID 19 pandemic struck the globe at a lightning speed mandating the use of containment measures like social distancing and work from home policies to prevent the transmission of this potentially lethal respiratory virus. Our institute, a tertiary referral cancer center catering to the whole of India (Western India in particular), implemented the “work from home” policy during COVID 19 pandemic. For the first time, the concept of “Practicing Pathology from the Distance” (telepathology) was implemented in the Department Of Pathology. This paper discusses how telepathology was factualized, integrated the problems faced during its reporting and possible solutions into the daily surgical pathology reporting at our institute. We analyzed 135 cases by Static Imagery Telepathology out of the total 385 cases reported during national lockdown in India (23rd March to 23rd May 2020) with later confirmation by light microscopy to search for percentage of diagnostic concordance and discrepancy, if any. We experienced 100% diagnostic concordance in all the cases which tested the experience skill and expertise of the concerned telepathology team. However some diagnostic challenges and technical pitfalls were noted while using static imagery technique like time constraints and image qualities. These problems could be resolved by integrating whole slide imaging telepathology for future use. We conclude that during the COVID 19 pandemic, practicing pathology at a distance by integration of technology, expertise, and team work is the need of the hour and the ultimate solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Sharma
- Department of Pathology, Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Jaipur, 302018 India
| | - Praveena G. Vyas
- Department of Pathology, Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Jaipur, 302018 India
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Cao L, Yang J, Rong Z, Li L, Xia B, You C, Lou G, Jiang L, Du C, Meng H, Wang W, Wang M, Li K, Hou Y. A novel attention-guided convolutional network for the detection of abnormal cervical cells in cervical cancer screening. Med Image Anal 2021; 73:102197. [PMID: 34403932 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2021.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Early detection of abnormal cervical cells in cervical cancer screening increases the chances of timely treatment. But manual detection requires experienced pathologists and is time-consuming and error prone. Previously, some methods have been proposed for automated abnormal cervical cell detection, whose performance yet remained debatable. Here, we develop an attention feature pyramid network (AttFPN) for automatic abnormal cervical cell detection in cervical cytology images to assist pathologists to make a more accurate diagnosis. Our proposed method consists of two main components. First, an attention module mimicking the way pathologists reading a cervical cytology image. It learns what features to emphasize or suppress by refining extracted features effectively. Second, a multi-scale region-based feature fusion network guided by clinical knowledge to fuse the refined features for detecting abnormal cervical cells at different scales. The region proposals in the multi-scale network are designed according to the clinical knowledge about size and shape distribution of real abnormal cervical cells. Our method, trained and validated with 7030 annotated cervical cytology images, performs better than the state of art deep learning-based methods. The overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC of an independent testing dataset with 3970 cervical cytology images is 95.83%, 94.81%, 95.08% and 0.991, respectively, which is comparable to that of an experienced pathologist with 10 years of experience. Besides, we further validated our method on an external dataset with 110 cases and 35,013 images from a different organization, the case-level sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC is 91.30%, 90.62%, 90.91% and 0.934, respectively. Average diagnostic time of our method is 0.04s per image, which is much quicker than the average time of pathologists (14.83s per image). Thus, our AttFPN is effective and efficient in cervical cancer screening, and improvement of clinical workflows for the benefit of potential patients. Our code is available at https://github.com/cl2227619761/TCT_Detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cao
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Jinying Yang
- Department of Pathology, Heilongjiang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Zhiwei Rong
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Lulu Li
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Bairong Xia
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui province cancer hospital, Hefei 230031, Anhui, China
| | - Chong You
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ge Lou
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, P.R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Department of Pathology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Chun Du
- Department of Pathology, Precision Medical Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Hongxue Meng
- Department of Pathology, Precision Medical Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Kang Li
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yan Hou
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
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He X, Wang L, Wang L, Gao J, Cui F, Ma Q, Zhang W, Wang L, Zhai Y, Zhao J. Effectiveness of a Cloud-Based Telepathology System in China: Large-Sample Observational Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e23799. [PMID: 34326037 PMCID: PMC8367172 DOI: 10.2196/23799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-slide imaging allows the entire slide to be viewed in a manner that simulates microscopy; therefore, it is widely used in telepathology. However, managing the large digital files needed for whole-slide imaging is difficult. To solve this problem, we set up the Chinese National Cloud-Based Telepathology System (CNCTPS). CNCTPS has been running for more than 4 years and has accumulated a large amount of data. OBJECTIVE The main purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of the CNCTPS based on a large sample. The evaluation indicators included service volume, turnaround time, diagnosis accuracy, and economic benefits. METHODS Details of 23,167 cases submitted to the CNCTPS from January 2016 to December 2019 were collected to analyze the service volume, turnaround time, and economic benefits. A total of 564 patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and obtained final diagnoses were followed up to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of the CNCTPS. RESULTS From 2016 to 2019, the service volume of the CNCTPS increased from 2335 to 9240, and the number of participating hospitals increased from 60 to 74. Consultation requests from county-level hospitals accounted for 86.57% (20,287/23,167). A total of 17,495 of 23,167 cases (75.52%) were confirmed, including 12,088 benign lesions, 5217 malignant lesions, and 190 borderline lesions. Of the cases, 3.85% (893/23,167) failed to be diagnosed for reasons such as poor slice quality and incomplete sampling. The median turnaround time was 16.93 hours and was shortened yearly (between 2018 and 2019: adjusted P=.01; other groups: adjusted P<.001); 82.88% cases were diagnosed in 48 hours. There was a discrepancy between the diagnosis and final diagnosis for 11 cases, including 4 false-positive cases and 7 false-negative cases. The sensitivity and specificity were 97.66% and 98.49%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the system was 98.05%, with no statistical difference from the final diagnosis in the hospital (P=.55). By using this system, a total of US $300,000 was saved for patients every year. CONCLUSIONS The novel cloud-based telepathology system has the potential to relieve the shortage of pathologists in primary hospitals. It can also simultaneously reduce medical costs for patients in China. It should, therefore, be further promoted to enhance the efficiency, quantity, and quality of telepathology diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianying He
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Linlin Wang
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinghong Gao
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Internet Medical Systems and Applications, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fangfang Cui
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qianqian Ma
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Internet Medical Systems and Applications, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lin Wang
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yunkai Zhai
- School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- National Telemedicine Center of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Internet Medical Systems and Applications, Zhengzhou, China
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13
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Tian M, He X, Jin C, He X, Wu S, Zhou R, Zhang X, Zhang K, Gu W, Wang J, Zhang H. Transpathology: molecular imaging-based pathology. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 48:2338-2350. [PMID: 33585964 PMCID: PMC8241651 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Pathology is the medical specialty concerned with the study of the disease nature and causes, playing a key role in bridging basic researches and clinical medicine. In the course of development, pathology has significantly expanded our understanding of disease, and exerted enormous impact on the management of patients. However, challenges facing pathology, the inherent invasiveness of pathological practice and the persistent concerns on the sample representativeness, constitute its limitations. Molecular imaging is a noninvasive technique to visualize, characterize, and measure biological processes at the molecular level in living subjects. With the continuous development of equipment and probes, molecular imaging has enabled an increasingly precise evaluation of pathophysiological changes. A new pathophysiology visualization system based on molecular imaging is forming and shows the great potential to reform the pathological practice. Several improvements in "trans-," including trans-scale, transparency, and translation, would be driven by this new kind of pathological practice. Pathological changes could be evaluated in a trans-scale imaging mode; tissues could be transparentized to better present the underlying pathophysiological information; and the translational processes of basic research to the clinical practice would be better facilitated. Thus, transpathology would greatly facilitate in deciphering the pathophysiological events in a multiscale perspective, and supporting the precision medicine in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Xuexin He
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chentao Jin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Weizhong Gu
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
- College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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14
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Sakamoto T, Furukawa T, Lami K, Pham HHN, Uegami W, Kuroda K, Kawai M, Sakanashi H, Cooper LAD, Bychkov A, Fukuoka J. A narrative review of digital pathology and artificial intelligence: focusing on lung cancer. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2020; 9:2255-2276. [PMID: 33209648 PMCID: PMC7653145 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of whole slide imaging technology allows for pathology diagnosis on a computer screen. The applications of digital pathology are expanding, from supporting remote institutes suffering from a shortage of pathologists to routine use in daily diagnosis including that of lung cancer. Through practice and research large archival databases of digital pathology images have been developed that will facilitate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) methods for image analysis. Currently, several AI applications have been reported in the field of lung cancer; these include the segmentation of carcinoma foci, detection of lymph node metastasis, counting of tumor cells, and prediction of gene mutations. Although the integration of AI algorithms into clinical practice remains a significant challenge, we have implemented tumor cell count for genetic analysis, a helpful application for routine use. Our experience suggests that pathologists often overestimate the contents of tumor cells, and the use of AI-based analysis increases the accuracy and makes the tasks less tedious. However, there are several difficulties encountered in the practical use of AI in clinical diagnosis. These include the lack of sufficient annotated data for the development and validation of AI systems, the explainability of black box AI models, such as those based on deep learning that offer the most promising performance, and the difficulty in defining the ground truth data for training and validation owing to inherent ambiguity in most applications. All of these together present significant challenges in the development and clinical translation of AI methods in the practice of pathology. Additional research on these problems will help in resolving the barriers to the clinical use of AI. Helping pathologists in developing knowledge of the working and limitations of AI will benefit the use of AI in both diagnostics and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taro Sakamoto
- Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tomoi Furukawa
- Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kris Lami
- Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hoa Hoang Ngoc Pham
- Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Wataru Uegami
- Department of Pathology, Kameda Medical Center, Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kishio Kuroda
- Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masataka Kawai
- Department of Pathology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Hidenori Sakanashi
- Configurable Learning Mechanism Research Team, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Andrey Bychkov
- Department of Pathology, Kameda Medical Center, Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junya Fukuoka
- Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Pathology, Kameda Medical Center, Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan
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15
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Laurent-Bellue A, Poullier E, Pomerol JF, Adnet E, Redon MJ, Posseme K, Trassard O, Cherqui D, Zarca K, Guettier C. Four-Year Experience of Digital Slide Telepathology for Intraoperative Frozen Section Consultations in a Two-Site French Academic Department of Pathology. Am J Clin Pathol 2020; 154:414-423. [PMID: 32459303 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To share our experience with digital slide telepathology for intraoperative frozen section consultations (IOCs) and to describe its evolution over time by reporting performance metrics and addressing organizational and economic aspects. METHODS Since 2013, a technician has been alone at the surgical site. At the other site, the pathologist opens the digital slide from a local server via the intranet. Three periods were compared: a 6-month period of conventional IOC (period 1), a 24-month period of telepathology at 6 months after implementation (period 2), and a 12-month period of telepathology at 3.5 years after implementation (period 3). RESULTS In total, 87 conventional IOCs and 464 and 313 IOCs on digital slides were performed respectively during periods 1, 2, and 3; mean turnaround time was 27, 36, and 38 minutes, respectively, and there were a mean number of 1.1, 1.1, and 1.3 slides, respectively, per IOC. Diagnostic accuracy was achieved in 95.4%, 92.7%, and 93.9%, respectively, of IOCs (not significant). The additional cost is in the same range as the cost of urgent transport by courier. CONCLUSIONS Developing IOC with digital slides is a challenge but is necessary to optimize medical time in the current context of pathologist shortage and budget restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Laurent-Bellue
- Department of Pathology, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Eric Poullier
- Information System Department, AP-HP, Campus Picpus, Paris, France
| | | | - Eric Adnet
- Information System Department, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Marie-José Redon
- Department of Pathology, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Katia Posseme
- Department of Pathology, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Olivier Trassard
- Department of Pathology, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Daniel Cherqui
- Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Department of Surgery, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France
| | - Kevin Zarca
- URC eco Ile-de-France, AP-HP-Université Paris V, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Guettier
- Department of Pathology, AP-HP-Université Paris Saclay, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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16
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Griffith ML, Bischoff LA, Baum HBA. Approach to the Patient With Thyrotoxicosis Using Telemedicine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020; 105:5856156. [PMID: 32525973 PMCID: PMC7454600 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT The potential for endocrine care via telemedicine has been recognized since the early 2000s when clinical outcome data demonstrated improvements in glycemic control with telemedicine. The widespread use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed telemedicine beyond diabetes care and into clinical areas with a paucity of published data. The evaluation and treatment of thyrotoxicosis heavily relies on laboratory assessment and imaging with physical exam playing a role to help differentiate the etiology and assess the severity of thyrotoxicosis. CASE DESCRIPTION We describe a patient presenting for evaluation of new thyrotoxicosis via telemedicine, and describe modifications to consider for thorough, safe evaluation via telemedicine. CONCLUSION Telemedicine may be an ideal way to assess and treat patients with thyrotoxicosis who are not able to physically attend a visit with an endocrinologist but still have access to a laboratory for blood draws. Potential challenges include access to imaging and high-volume surgeons if needed. Clinical and economic outcomes of telemedicine care of thyrotoxicosis should be studied so that standards of care for endocrine telemedicine can be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Griffith
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Lindsay A Bischoff
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Howard B A Baum
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Howard B.A. Baum, MD, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8210, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232. E-mail:
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17
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Abstract
Pathology has benefited from advanced innovation with novel technology to implement a digital solution. Whole slide imaging is a disruptive technology where glass slides are scanned to produce digital images. There have been significant advances in whole slide scanning hardware and software that have allowed for ready access of whole slide images. The digital images, or whole slide images, can be viewed comparable to glass slides in a microscope, as digital files. Whole slide imaging has increased in adoption among pathologists, pathology departments, and scientists for clinical, educational, and research initiatives. Worldwide usage of whole slide imaging has grown significantly. Pathology regulatory organizations (ie, College of American Pathologists) have put forth guidelines for clinical validation, and the US Food and Drug Administration have also approved whole slide imaging for primary diagnosis. This article will review the digital pathology ecosystem and discuss clinical and nonclinical applications of its use.
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18
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Eccher A, Girolami I, Brunelli M, Novelli L, Mescoli C, Malvi D, D'Errico A, Luchini C, Furian L, Zaza G, Cardillo M, Boggi U, Pantanowitz L. Digital pathology for second opinion consultation and donor assessment during organ procurement: Review of the literature and guidance for deployment in transplant practice. Transplant Rev (Orlando) 2020; 34:100562. [PMID: 32576430 DOI: 10.1016/j.trre.2020.100562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Telepathology has been an important application for second opinion consultation ever since the introduction of digital pathology. However, little is known regarding teleconsultation for second opinion in transplantation. There is also limited literature on telepathology during organ donor procurement, typically utilized when general pathologists on-call request back-up to help assess donor biopsies for organ suitability or to diagnose newly discovered tumors with urgent time constraints. In this review, we searched Pubmed/Embase and websites of transplant organizations to collect and analyze published evidence on teleconsultation for donor evaluation and organ procurement. Of 2725 records retrieved using the key terms 'telepathology', 'second opinion' and 'transplantation', 26 suitable studies were included. Most records were from North America and included validation studies of telepathology being used for remote frozen section interpretation of donor biopsies with whole slide imaging. The data from these published studies supports the transition towards digital teleconsultation in transplant settings where consultations among pathologists are still handled by pathologists being called on site, via telephone and/or email.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albino Eccher
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Girolami
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Matteo Brunelli
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Luca Novelli
- Institute for Histopathology and Molecular Diagnosis, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudia Mescoli
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Surgical Pathology & Cytopathology Unit, University and Hospital Trust of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Deborah Malvi
- Pathology Unit, University of Bologna, Policlinico St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonia D'Errico
- Pathology Unit, University of Bologna, Policlinico St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Luchini
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Furian
- Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University and Hospital Trust of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Zaza
- Renal Unit, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Ugo Boggi
- Division of General and Transplant Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Liron Pantanowitz
- Department of Pathology, UPMC Shadyside Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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19
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Dietz RL, Hartman DJ, Pantanowitz L. Systematic Review of the Use of Telepathology During Intraoperative Consultation. Am J Clin Pathol 2020; 153:198-209. [PMID: 31618416 PMCID: PMC7317083 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqz155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare studies that used telepathology systems vs conventional microscopy for intraoperative consultation (frozen-section) diagnosis. METHODS A total of 56 telepathology studies with 13,996 cases in aggregate were identified through database searches. RESULTS The concordance of telepathology with the reference standard was generally excellent, with a weighted mean of 96.9%. In comparison, we identified seven studies using conventional intraoperative consultation that showed a weighted mean concordance of 98.3%. Evaluation of the risk of bias showed that most of these studies were low risk. CONCLUSIONS Despite limitations such as variation in reporting and publication bias, this systematic review provides strong support for the safety of using telepathology for intraoperative consultations.
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20
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Begley BA, Martin J, Tufty GT, Suh DW. Evaluation of a Remote Telemedicine Screening System for Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2019; 56:157-161. [PMID: 31116862 DOI: 10.3928/01913913-20190215-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the validity of remote telemedicine screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a population of at-risk preterm infants in Iowa and South Dakota. METHODS The medical records for all preterm infants screened for ROP at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Sioux City, Iowa, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from September 1, 2017, to July 31, 2018, were retrospectively reviewed. The RetCam Shuttle (Natus Medical Inc., Pleasanton, CA) was used to capture retinal images, which were posted on a secure server for evaluation by a pediatric ophthalmologist. Infants with suspected ROP approaching the criteria for treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medications were transferred to the Children's Hospital and Medical Center NICU in Omaha, Nebraska, where a comprehensive examination was performed and treatment was administered when indicated. The remaining infants received an outpatient comprehensive examination by one of two pediatric ophthalmologists within 2 weeks of discharge. RESULTS A total of 124 telemedicine examinations were performed on 35 infants during the study period. Remote telemedicine screening for referral-warranted ROP using the RetCam Shuttle had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 97%, positive predictive value of 66.7%, and negative predictive value of 100%. Of the three infants transferred for referral-warranted ROP, two required treatment with anti-VEGF medications. Good outcomes were noted in all cases, and no patients progressed beyond stage 3 ROP. CONCLUSIONS Telemedicine screening reliably detected referral-warranted ROP in at-risk premature infants at two remote sites, with no poor outcomes during the 11-month period. These results demonstrate the validity and utility of remote telemedicine screening for ROP. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2019;56(3):157-161.].
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21
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Abstract
Change is an absolute so long as time does not stand still. We should expect it, embrace it, and try to predict its direction. Dermatology, as a specialty practice, has been changing rapidly over the past 30 years concurrent with the changes in medicine. What are these changes, how did they come about, and what may be the consequences? The goal of this review is to follow the march of time, as we move from one era to the other in step with what is happening in the world as a whole and the United States in particular. The growth of our specialty, Dermatology, is divided into 3 eras which are quite different in generational cultures. The first era spanning the 1980s and 1990s is dubbed as "old school." The second era begins with the new century, 2000 until today. This era will forever be remembered as the business era, the rise of elite cultures, and the losses and threats to academia. The third era begins now; it is that of technology which is fast progressing into the future. One can theoretically project what may occur during this technologic revolution and the directions in medicine as a whole. Dermatology can be at the forefront of this era or it could be lost as a whole if we do nothing to keep up. These eras are based on my personal experience as a dermatologist in a large academic institution in the United States and may not apply to other communities or societies elsewhere. The United States serves as a good example of a western technologically oriented society that is often emulated by others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rokea A El-Azhary
- Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
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