Automatic Identification of Adenoid Hypertrophy via Ensemble Deep Learning Models Employing X-ray Adenoid Images

Adenoid hypertrophy, characterized by the abnormal enlargement of adenoid tissue, is a condition that can cause significant breathing and sleep disturbances, particularly in children. Accurate diagnosis of adenoid hypertrophy is critical, yet traditional methods, such as imaging and manual interpretation, are prone to errors. This study uses an ensemble deep learning-based approach for adenoid classification. It utilizes a unique dataset sourced from Batman Training and Research Hospital. The dataset is composed of masked and non-masked X-ray images. It is used to train and compare the performance of multiple convolutional neural network (CNN) models. By comparing classification accuracy between masked and non-masked datasets, the study reveals the importance of image preprocessing. Six deep learning models-EfficientNet, MobileNet, ResNet50, ResNet152, VGG16, and Xception-are tested, with ResNet50 achieving the highest accuracy (100% on masked images), while Xception performs the worst (65% F1-score). The results indicate that masking significantly enhances the accuracy and reliability of adenoid classification. ResNet50 and EfficientNet show strong generalization capabilities. Conversely, the lower performance of models like Xception highlights the variability in model suitability for this task. This research provides valuable insights into optimizing deep learning models for medical image classification and it advances the field of AI-based adenoid detection.