Diagnostic accuracy of computer aided reading of chest x-ray in screening for pulmonary tuberculosis in comparison with Gene-Xpert

Computer-aided diagnostic accuracy of pulmonary tuberculosis on chest radiography among lower respiratory tract symptoms patients

Even though the Gaza Strip is a low pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) burden region, it is well-known that TB is primarily a socioeconomic problem associated with overcrowding, poor hygiene, a lack of fresh water, and limited access to healthcare, which is the typical case in the Gaza Strip. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the accuracy of the automatic software computer-aided detection for tuberculosis (CAD4TB) in diagnosing pulmonary TB on chest radiography and compare the CAD4TB software reading with the results of geneXpert. Using a census sampling method, the study was conducted in radiology departments in the Gaza Strip hospitals between 1 December 2022 and 31 March 2023. A digital X-ray, printer, and online X-ray system backed by CAD4TBv6 software were used to screen patients with lower respiratory tract symptoms. GeneXpert analysis was performed for all patients having a score > 40. A total of 1,237 patients presenting with lower respiratory tract symptoms participated in this current study. Chest X-ray readings showed that 7.8% (n = 96) were presumptive for TB. The CAD4TBv6 scores showed that 11.8% (n = 146) of recruited patients were presumptive for TB. GeneXpert testing on sputum samples showed that 6.2% (n = 77) of those with a score > 40 on CAD4TB were positive for pulmonary TB. Significant differences were found in chest X-ray readings, CAD4TBv6 scores, and GeneXpert results among sociodemographic and health status variables (P-value < 0.05). The study showed that the incidence rate of TB in the Gaza Strip is 3.5 per 100,000 population in the Gaza strip. The sensitivity of the CAD4TBv6 score and the symptomatic review for tuberculosis with a threshold score of >40 is 80.2%, and the specificity is 94.0%. The positive Likelihood Ratio is 13.3%, Negative Likelihood Ratio is 0.2 with 7.8% prevalence. Positive Predictive Value is 52.7%, Negative Predictive Value is 98.3%, and accuracy is 92.9%. In a resource-limited country with a high burden of neglected disease, combining chest X-ray readings by CAD4TB and symptomatology is extremely valuable for screening a population at risk. CAD4TB is noticeably more efficient than other methods for TB screening and early diagnosis in people who would otherwise go undetected.

Improving diagnosis accuracy with an intelligent image retrieval system for lung pathologies detection: a features extractor approach

Detecting lung pathologies is critical for precise medical diagnosis. In the realm of diagnostic methods, various approaches, including imaging tests, physical examinations, and laboratory tests, contribute to this process. Of particular note, imaging techniques like X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans play a pivotal role in identifying lung pathologies with their non-invasive insights. Deep learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, holds significant promise in revolutionizing the detection and diagnosis of lung pathologies. By leveraging expansive datasets, deep learning algorithms autonomously discern intricate patterns and features within medical images, such as chest X-rays and CT scans. These algorithms exhibit an exceptional capacity to recognize subtle markers indicative of lung diseases. Yet, while their potential is evident, inherent limitations persist. The demand for abundant labeled data during training and the susceptibility to data biases challenge their accuracy. To address these formidable challenges, this research introduces a tailored computer-assisted system designed for the automatic retrieval of annotated medical images that share similar content. At its core lies an intelligent deep learning-based features extractor, adept at simplifying the retrieval of analogous images from an extensive chest radiograph database. The crux of our innovation rests upon the fusion of YOLOv5 and EfficientNet within the features extractor module. This strategic fusion synergizes YOLOv5's rapid and efficient object detection capabilities with EfficientNet's proficiency in combating noisy predictions. The result is a distinctive amalgamation that redefines the efficiency and accuracy of features extraction. Through rigorous experimentation conducted on an extensive and diverse dataset, our proposed solution decisively surpasses conventional methodologies. The model's achievement of a mean average precision of 0.488 with a threshold of 0.9 stands as a testament to its effectiveness, overshadowing the results of YOLOv5 + ResNet and EfficientDet, which achieved 0.234 and 0.257 respectively. Furthermore, our model demonstrates a marked precision improvement, attaining a value of 0.864 across all pathologies-a noteworthy leap of approximately 0.352 compared to YOLOv5 + ResNet and EfficientDet. This research presents a significant stride toward enhancing radiologists' workflow efficiency, offering a refined and proficient tool for retrieving analogous annotated medical images.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Software with CE Mark for Chest X-ray Interpretation: Opportunities and Challenges

Chest X-ray (CXR) is the most important technique for performing chest imaging, despite its well-known limitations in terms of scope and sensitivity. These intrinsic limitations of CXR have prompted the development of several artificial intelligence (AI)-based software packages dedicated to CXR interpretation. The online database "AI for radiology" was queried to identify CE-marked AI-based software available for CXR interpretation. The returned studies were divided according to the targeted disease. AI-powered computer-aided detection software is already widely adopted in screening and triage for pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in countries with few resources and suffering from high a burden of this disease. AI-based software has also been demonstrated to be valuable for the detection of lung nodules detection, automated flagging of positive cases, and post-processing through the development of digital bone suppression software able to produce digital bone suppressed images. Finally, the majority of available CE-marked software packages for CXR are designed to recognize several findings, with potential differences in sensitivity and specificity for each of the recognized findings.