To develop a practical thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TIRADS) with which to categorize thyroid nodules and stratify their malignant risk. The institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and the requirement to obtain informed consent for the review of images and records was waived. From May to December 2008, ultrasonographically (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed in 3674 focal thyroid nodules in 3414 consecutive patients. The study included the 1658 thyroid nodules (≥1 cm in maximum diameter at US) in 1638 patients (1373 women, 265 men) for which pathologic diagnosis or follow-up findings were available. Univariate and multivariate analyses with generalized estimating equations were performed to investigate the relationship between suspicious US features and thyroid cancer. A score for each significant factor was assigned and multiplied by the β coefficient obtained for each significant factor from multivariate logistic regression analysis. Scores for each significant factor were then added, resulting in an equation that fitted the probability of malignancy in thyroid nodules. The authors evaluated the fitted probability by using a regression equation; the risk of malignancy was determined according to the number of suspicious US features. The following US features showed a significant association with malignancy: solid component, hypoechogenicity, marked hypoechogenicity, microlobulated or irregular margins, microcalcifications, and taller-than-wide shape. As the number of suspicious US features increased, the fitted probability and risk of malignancy also increased. Positive predictive values according to the number of suspicious US features were significantly different (P < .001). Risk stratification of thyroid malignancy by using the number of suspicious US features allows for a practical and convenient TIRADS.
In this article, we review some of the key methodologic points that should be considered with regard to clinical evaluation of artificial intelligence tools for use in medical diagnosis and prediction. The use of artificial intelligence in medicine is currently an issue of great interest, especially with regard to the diagnostic or predictive analysis of medical images. Adoption of an artificial intelligence tool in clinical practice requires careful confirmation of its clinical utility. Herein, the authors explain key methodology points involved in a clinical evaluation of artificial intelligence technology for use in medicine, especially high-dimensional or overparameterized diagnostic or predictive models in which artificial deep neural networks are used, mainly from the standpoints of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. First, statistical methods for assessing the discrimination and calibration performances of a diagnostic or predictive model are summarized. Next, the effects of disease manifestation spectrum and disease prevalence on the performance results are explained, followed by a discussion of the difference between evaluating the performance with use of internal and external datasets, t...
In a multicenter study, 12 radiologists assisted by deep convolutional neural network software detected malignant pulmonary nodules on chest radiographs with a higher sensitivity and fewer false-po... Background Multicenter studies are required to validate the added benefit of using deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) software for detecting malignant pulmonary nodules on chest radiographs. ...
Preoperative, noninvasive prediction of the meningioma grade is important because it influences the treatment strategy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of radiomics features of postcontrast T1-weighted images (T1C), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps, based on the entire tumor volume, in the differentiation of grades and histological subtypes of meningiomas.
Clinical evaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) aims to confirm acceptable AI performance to confirm the benefits of AI-assisted care relative to conventional care. Prospective studies to evalu... Adequate clinical evaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms before adoption in practice is critical. Clinical evaluation aims to confirm acceptable AI performance through adequate exter...