Image-based AI diagnostic performance for fatty liver: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The gold standard to diagnose fatty liver is pathology. Recently, image-based artificial intelligence (AI) has been found to have high diagnostic performance. We systematically reviewed studies of image-based AI in the diagnosis of fatty liver.

We searched the Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase and assessed the quality of included studies by QUADAS-AI. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (NLR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated using a random effects model. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves (SROC) were generated to identify the diagnostic accuracy of AI models.

15 studies were selected in our meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 92% (95% CI: 90-93%) and 94% (95% CI: 93-96%), PLR and NLR were 12.67 (95% CI: 7.65-20.98) and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.06-0.13), DOR was 182.36 (95% CI: 94.85-350.61). After subgroup analysis by AI algorithm (conventional machine learning/deep learning), region, reference (US, MRI or pathology), imaging techniques (MRI or US) and transfer learning, the model also demonstrated acceptable diagnostic efficacy.

AI has satisfactory performance in the diagnosis of fatty liver by medical imaging. The integration of AI into imaging devices may produce effective diagnostic tools, but more high-quality studies are needed for further evaluation.