Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40493115›Full record

ArticleTechniques in coloproctology2025

Artificial intelligence and endoanal ultrasound: pioneering automated differentiation of benign anal and sphincter lesions.

M Mascarenhas, M J Almeida, M Martins, F Mendes, J Mota, P Cardoso, B Mendes, J Ferreira, G Macedo, C Poças

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Article in Techniques in coloproctology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

M MascarenhasDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal. miguelmascarenhassaraiva@gmail.com.
M J AlmeidaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal.
M MartinsDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal.
F MendesDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal.
J MotaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal.
P CardosoDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal.
B MendesDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, 4200-065, Porto, Portugal.
J FerreiraDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, 4200-065, Porto, Portugal.
G MacedoDepartment of Gastroenterology, Precision Medicine Unit, São João University Hospital, 4200-427, Porto, Portugal.
C PoçasManoph Gastroenterology Clinic, 4000-007, Porto, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnal injuries, such as lacerations and fissures, are challenging to diagnose because of their anatomical complexity. Endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) has proven to be a reliable tool for detailed visualization of anal structures but relies on expert interpretation. Artificial intelligence (AI) may offer a solution for more accurate and consistent diagnoses. This study aims to develop and test a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithm for automatic classification of fissures and anal lacerations (internal and external) on EUAS.

methodsA single-center retrospective study analyzed 238 EUAS radial probe exams (April 2022-January 2024), categorizing 4528 frames into fissures (516), external lacerations (2174), and internal lacerations (1838), following validation by three experts. Data was split 80% for training and 20% for testing. Performance metrics included sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

resultsFor external lacerations, the CNN achieved 82.5% sensitivity, 93.5% specificity, and 88.2% accuracy. For internal lacerations, achieved 91.7% sensitivity, 85.9% specificity, and 88.2% accuracy. For anal fissures, achieved 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

conclusionThis first EUAS AI-assisted model for differentiating benign anal injuries demonstrates excellent diagnostic performance. It highlights AI's potential to improve accuracy, reduce reliance on expertise, and support broader clinical adoption. While currently limited by small dataset and single-center scope, this work represents a significant step towards integrating AI in proctology.

Indexed as

Anal CanalArtificial IntelligenceEndosonographyFissure in AnoLacerationsAdultAlgorithmsDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeural Networks, ComputerRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityAnal fissureAnal lacerationArtificial intelligenceEndoanal ultrasound

Identifiers

PMID40493115
PMCPMC12152023

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.