Artificial intelligence software for assessing brain ischemic penumbra/core infarction on computed tomography perfusion: A real-world accuracy study

With the increasingly extensive application of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical systems, the accuracy of AI in medical diagnosis in the real world deserves attention and objective evaluation.

To investigate the accuracy of AI diagnostic software (Shukun) in assessing ischemic penumbra/core infarction in acute ischemic stroke patients due to large vessel occlusion.

From November 2021 to March 2022, consecutive acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion who underwent mechanical thrombectomy (MT) post-Shukun AI penumbra assessment were included. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) and perfusion exams were analyzed by AI, reviewed by senior neurointerventional experts. In the case of divergences among the three experts, discussions were held to reach a final conclusion. When the results of AI were inconsistent with the neurointerventional experts' diagnosis, the diagnosis by AI was considered inaccurate.

A total of 22 patients were included in the study. The vascular recanalization rate was 90.9%, and 63.6% of patients had modified Rankin scale scores of 0-2 at the 3-month follow-up. The computed tomography (CT) perfusion diagnosis by Shukun (AI) was confirmed to be invalid in 3 patients (inaccuracy rate: 13.6%).

AI (Shukun) has limits in assessing ischemic penumbra. Integrating clinical and imaging data (CT, CTA, and even magnetic resonance imaging) is crucial for MT decision-making.