Application of deep learning models for accurate classification of fluid collections in acute necrotizing pancreatitis on computed tomography: a multicenter study

Abstract

Purpose: To apply CT-based deep learning (DL) models for accurate solid debris-based classification of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC) in acute pancreatitis (AP). Material and methods: This retrospective study comprised four tertiary care hospitals. Consecutive patients with AP and PFCs who had computed tomography (CT) prior to drainage were screened. Those who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) within 20 days of CT were considered for inclusion. Axial CT images were utilized for model training. Images were labelled as those with≤30% solid debris and >30% solid debris based on MRI or EUS. Single center data was used for model training and validation. Data from other three centers comprised the held out external test cohort. We experimented with ResNet 50, Vision transformer (ViT), and MedViT architectures. Results: Overall, we recruited 152 patients (129 training/validation and 23 testing). There were 1334, 334 and 512 images in the training, validation, and test cohorts, respectively. In the overall training and validation cohorts, ViT and MedVit models had high diagnostic performance (sensitivity 92.4–98.7%, specificity 89.7–98.4%, and AUC 0.908–0.980). The sensitivity (85.3–98.6%), specificity (69.4–99.4%), and AUC (0.779–0.984) of all the models was high in all the subgroups in the training and validation cohorts. In the overall external test cohort, MedViT had the best diagnostic performance (sensitivity 75.2%, specificity 75.3%, and AUC 0.753). MedVit had sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 75.2%, 74.3%, and 0.748, in walled off necrosis and 79%, 74.2%, 75.3%, and 0.767 for collections >5 cm. Conclusion: DL-models have moderate diagnostic performance for solid-debris based classification of WON and collections greater than 5 cm on CT. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.