[Artificial intelligence-assisted identification of mucus plugs in asthma]

Airway mucus plug is an important clinical feature of bronchial asthma and is related to the prognosis of the disease. Clinically, chest CT is a preferred tool for evaluating airway mucus plugs. At present, the interpretation of CT images relies on manual reading, but the airway mucus plugs of patients with bronchial asthma are mostly distributed in the small and medium airways, which are difficult to identify with the naked eye. In recent years, with the continuous progress of deep learning and big data technology, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted image reading technology has been introduced into clinical application, which has significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of mucus plug identification. Currently, AI-assisted airway mucus plug identification has been used in respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchial asthma. Therefore, the application of AI counting to mucus plugs in patients with bronchial asthma is of great significance.