Deep Learning-Based Adrenal Gland Volumetry for the Prediction of Diabetes

The long-term association between adrenal gland volume (AGV) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains unclear. We aimed to determine the association between deep learning-based AGV and current glycemic status and incident T2D.

In this observational study, adults who underwent abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) for health checkups (2011-2012), but had no adrenal nodules, were included. AGV was measured from CT images using a three-dimensional nnU-Net deep learning algorithm. We assessed the association between AGV and T2D using a cross-sectional and longitudinal design.

We used 500 CT scans (median age, 52.3 years; 253 men) for model development and a Multi-Atlas Labeling Beyond the Cranial Vault dataset for external testing. A clinical cohort included a total of 9708 adults (median age, 52.0 years; 5,769 men). The deep learning model demonstrated a dice coefficient of 0.71±0.11 for adrenal segmentation and a mean volume difference of 0.6± 0.9 mL in the external dataset. Participants with T2D at baseline had a larger AGV than those without (7.3 cm3 vs. 6.7 cm3 and 6.3 cm3 vs. 5.5 cm3 for men and women, respectively, all P<0.05). The optimal AGV cutoff values for predicting T2D were 7.2 cm3 in men and 5.5 cm3 in women. Over a median 7.0-year follow-up, T2D developed in 938 participants. Cumulative T2D risk was accentuated with high AGV compared with low AGV (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.46).

AGV, measured using deep learning algorithms, is associated with current glycemic status and can significantly predict the development of T2D.