Published in:
Open Access 23-03-2022 | Giant Cell Arteritis | Original Article
A methodological framework for AI-assisted diagnosis of active aortitis using radiomic analysis of FDG PET–CT images: Initial analysis
Published in: Journal of Nuclear Cardiology | Issue 6/2022
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Background
The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of assisted diagnosis of active (peri-)aortitis using radiomic imaging biomarkers derived from [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (FDG PET–CT) images.
Methods
The aorta was manually segmented on FDG PET–CT in 50 patients with aortitis and 25 controls. Radiomic features (RF) (n = 107), including SUV (Standardized Uptake Value) metrics, were extracted from the segmented data and harmonized using the ComBat technique. Individual RFs and groups of RFs (i.e., signatures) were used as input in Machine Learning classifiers. The diagnostic utility of these classifiers was evaluated with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and accuracy using the clinical diagnosis as the ground truth.
Results
Several RFs had high accuracy, 84% to 86%, and AUC scores 0.83 to 0.97 when used individually. Radiomic signatures performed similarly, AUC 0.80 to 1.00.
Conclusion
A methodological framework for a radiomic-based approach to support diagnosis of aortitis was outlined. Selected RFs, individually or in combination, showed similar performance to the current standard of qualitative assessment in terms of AUC for identifying active aortitis. This framework could support development of a clinical decision-making tool for a more objective and standardized assessment of aortitis.