Vanitha N. Sivalingam

Dr. Vanitha N. Sivalingam


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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7 October 2025 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Miguel Mascarenhas SaraivaMiguel Mascarenhas Saraiva
Miguel Mascarenhas Saraiva
VSVanitha N. Sivalingam
Vanitha N. Sivalingam
ICInes Castro
Ines Castro
KJKatie Jones
Katie Jones
MMMiguel Martins
Miguel Martins
RMRosa Zulmira Macedo
Rosa Zulmira Macedo
Background/Objectives: Accurate identification of vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) is essential for preventing progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. This study addresses the gap in artificial intelligence (AI) applications for vulvar lesion diagnosis by developing and validating the first convolutional neural network (CNN) model to automatically detect and classify HPV-related vulvar lesions—specifically HSIL and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL)—based on vulvoscopy images. Methods: This bicentric study included data from 28 vulvoscopies, comprising a total of 9857 annotated frames, categorized using histopathological reports (HSIL or LSIL). The dataset was divided into training, validation, and testing sets for development and assessment of a YOLOv11-based object detection model. Results: The CNN demonstrated a recall (sensitivity) of 99.7% and a precision (positive predictive value) of 99.1% for lesion detection and classification. Conclusions: This is the first AI model developed for detecting and classifying HPV-related vulvar lesions. The integration of such models into vulvoscopy could significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and positively impact women’s health by reducing the need for potentially invasive and anatomy-altering procedures.