Published online Jun 14, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i22.2457
Peer-review started: April 28, 2021
First decision: June 13, 2021
Revised: June 27, 2021
Accepted: April 29, 2022
Article in press: April 29, 2022
Published online: June 14, 2022
A convolutional neural network (CNN) is a deep learning algorithm based on the principle of human brain visual cortex processing and image recognition.
To automatically identify the invasion depth and origin of esophageal lesions based on a CNN.
A total of 1670 white-light images were used to train and validate the CNN system. The method proposed in this paper included the following two parts: (1) Location module, an object detection network, locating the classified main image feature regions of the image for subsequent classification tasks; and (2) Classification module, a traditional classification CNN, classifying the images cut out by the object detection network.
The CNN system proposed in this study achieved an overall accuracy of 82.49%, sensitivity of 80.23%, and specificity of 90.56%. In this study, after follow-up pathology, 726 patients were compared for endoscopic pathology. The misdiagnosis rate of endoscopic diagnosis in the lesion invasion range was approximately 9.5%; 41 patients showed no lesion invasion to the muscularis propria, but 36 of them pathologically showed invasion to the superficial muscularis propria. The patients with invasion of the tunica adventitia were all treated by surgery with an accuracy rate of 100%. For the examination of submucosal lesions, the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was approximately 99.3%. Results of this study showed that EUS had a high accuracy rate for the origin of submucosal lesions, whereas the misdiagnosis rate was slightly high in the evaluation of the invasion scope of lesions. Misdiagnosis could be due to different operating and diagnostic levels of endoscopists, unclear ultrasound probes, and unclear lesions.
This study is the first to recognize esophageal EUS images through deep learning, which can automatically identify the invasion depth and lesion origin of submucosal tumors and classify such tumors, thereby achieving good accuracy. In future studies, this method can provide guidance and help to clinical endoscopists.
Core Tip: Convolutional neural networks with self-learning abilities are an effective method in medical image classification, segmentation, and detection. Endoscopic ultrasonography plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal lesions. However, its operation and lesion identification are more difficult than ordinary endoscopy. Automatic identification technology is of great significance to its development.