Applying an artificial intelligence deep learning approach to routine dermatopathological diagnosis of basal cell...

Institutes of dermatopathology are faced with considerable challenges including a continuously rising numbers of submitted specimens and a shortage of specialized health care practitioners. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is one of the most common tumors in the fair-skinned western population and represents a major part of samples submitted for histological evaluation. Digitalizing glass slides has enabled the application of artificial intelligence (AI)-based procedures. To date, these methods have found only limited application in routine diagnostics. The aim of this study was to establish an AI-based model for automated BCC detection.

In three dermatopathological centers, daily routine practice BCC cases were digitalized. The diagnosis was made both conventionally by analog microscope and digitally through an AI-supported algorithm based on a U-Net architecture neural network.

In routine practice, the model achieved a sensitivity of 98.23% (center 1) and a specificity of 98.51%. The model generalized successfully without additional training to samples from the other centers, achieving similarly high accuracies in BCC detection (sensitivities of 97.67% and 98.57% and specificities of 96.77% and 98.73% in centers 2 and 3, respectively). In addition, automated AI-based basal cell carcinoma subtyping and tumor thickness measurement were established.

AI-based methods can detect BCC with high accuracy in a routine clinical setting and significantly support dermatopathological work.