Segmentation of choroidal area in optical coherence tomography images using a transfer learning-based conventional neural network: a focus on diabetic retinopathy and a literature review.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of DeepLabv3+with Squeeze-and-Excitation (DeepLabv3+SE) architectures for segmenting the choroid in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of patients with diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: A total of 300 B-scans were selected from 21 patients with mild to moderate diabetic retinopathy. Six DeepLabv3+SE variants, each utilizing a different pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) for feature extraction, were compared. Segmentation performance was assessed using the Jaccard index, Dice score (DSC), precision, recall, and F1-score. Binarization and Bland-Altman analysis were employed to evaluate the agreement between automated and manual measurements of choroidal area, luminal area (LA), and Choroidal Vascularity Index (CVI). RESULTS: DeepLabv3+SE with EfficientNetB0 achieved the highest segmentation performance, with a Jaccard index of 95.47, DSC of 98.29, precision of 98.80, recall of 97.41, and F1-score of 98.10 on the validation set. Bland-Altman analysis indicated good agreement between automated and manual measurements of LA and CVI. CONCLUSIONS: DeepLabv3+SE with EfficientNetB0 demonstrates promise for accurate choroid segmentation in OCT images. This approach offers a potential solution for automated CVI calculation in diabetic retinopathy patients. Further evaluation of the proposed method on a larger and more diverse dataset can strengthen its generalizability and clinical applicability.

Efficient segmentation of active and inactive plaques in FLAIR-images using DeepLabV3Plus SE with efficientnetb0 backbone in multiple sclerosis.

This research paper introduces an efficient approach for the segmentation of active and inactive plaques within Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, employing a convolutional neural network (CNN) model known as DeepLabV3Plus SE with the EfficientNetB0 backbone in Multiple sclerosis (MS), and demonstrates its superior performance compared to other CNN architectures. The study encompasses various critical components, including dataset pre-processing techniques, the utilization of the Squeeze and Excitation Network (SE-Block), and the atrous spatial separable pyramid Block to enhance segmentation capabilities. Detailed descriptions of pre-processing procedures, such as removing the cranial bone segment, image resizing, and normalization, are provided. This study analyzed a cross-sectional cohort of 100 MS patients with active brain plaques, examining 5000 MRI slices. After filtering, 1500 slices were utilized for labeling and deep learning. The training process adopts the dice coefficient as the loss function and utilizes Adam optimization. The study evaluated the model's performance using multiple metrics, including intersection over union (IOU), Dice Score, Precision, Recall, and F1-Score, and offers a comparative analysis with other CNN architectures. Results demonstrate the superior segmentation ability of the proposed model, as evidenced by an IOU of 69.87, Dice Score of 76.24, Precision of 88.89, Recall of 73.52, and F1-Score of 80.47 for the DeepLabV3+SE_EfficientNetB0 model. This research contributes to the advancement of plaque segmentation in FLAIR images and offers a compelling approach with substantial potential for medical image analysis and diagnosis.

The role of histamine and its receptors in breast cancer: from pathology to therapeutic targets.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, and despite the development of new treatment methods and the decreasing mortality rate in recent years, one of the clinical problems in breast cancer treatment is chronic inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Histamine, an inflammatory mediator, is produced by tumor cells and can induce chronic inflammation and the growth of some tumors by recruiting inflammatory cells. It can also affect tumor physiopathology, antitumor treatment efficiency, and patient survival. Antihistamines, as histamine receptor antagonists, play a role in modulating the effects of these receptors in tumor cells and can affect some treatment methods for breast cancer therapy; in this review, we investigate the role of histamine, its receptors, and antihistamines in breast cancer pathology and treatment methods.

Assessment of area and structural irregularity of retinal layers in diabetic retinopathy using machine learning and image processing techniques.

Diabetes retinopathy prevention necessitates early detection, monitoring, and treatment. Non-invasive optical coherence tomography (OCT) shows structural changes in the retinal layer. OCT image evaluation necessitates retinal layer segmentation. The ability of our automated retinal layer segmentation to distinguish between normal, non-proliferative (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) was investigated in this study using quantifiable biomarkers such as retina layer smoothness index (SI) and area (S) in horizontal and vertical OCT images for each zone (fovea, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal). This research includes 84 eyes from 57 individuals. The study shows a significant difference in the Area (S) of inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL) in the horizontal foveal zone across the three groups (p < 0.001). In the horizontal scan, there is a significant difference in the smoothness index (SI) of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and the upper border of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) among three groups (p < 0.05). There is also a significant difference in the area (S) of the OPL in the foveal zone among the three groups (p = 0.003). The area (S) of the INL in the foveal region of horizontal slabs performed best for distinguishing diabetic patients (NPDR and PDR) from normal individuals, with an accuracy of 87.6%. The smoothness index (SI) of IPL in the nasal zone of horizontal foveal slabs was the most accurate at 97.2% in distinguishing PDR from NPDR. The smoothness index of the top border of the OPL in the nasal zone of horizontal slabs was 84.1% accurate in distinguishing NPDR from PDR. Smoothness index of IPL in the temporal zone of horizontal slabs was 89.8% accurate in identifying NPDR from PDR patients. In conclusion, optical coherence tomography can assess the smoothness index and irregularity of the inner and outer plexiform layers, particularly in the nasal and temporal regions of horizontal foveal slabs, to distinguish non-proliferative from proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The evolution of diabetic retinopathy throughout severity levels and its effects on retinal layer irregularity need more study.

Automated assessment of the smoothness of retinal layers in optical coherence tomography images using a machine learning algorithm.

Quantifying the smoothness of different layers of the retina can potentially be an important and practical biomarker in various pathologic conditions like diabetic retinopathy. The purpose of this study is to develop an automated machine learning algorithm which uses support vector regression method with wavelet kernel and automatically segments two hyperreflective retinal layers (inner plexiform layer (IPL) and outer plexiform layer (OPL)) in 50 optical coherence tomography (OCT) slabs and calculates the smoothness index (SI). The Bland-Altman plots, mean absolute error, root mean square error and signed error calculations revealed a modest discrepancy between the manual approach, used as the ground truth, and the corresponding automated segmentation of IPL/ OPL, as well as SI measurements in OCT slabs. It was concluded that the constructed algorithm may be employed as a reliable, rapid and convenient approach for segmenting IPL/OPL and calculating SI in the appropriate layers.

Automated machine learning-based classification of proliferative and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy using optical coherence tomography angiography vascular density maps.

PURPOSE: The study aims to classify the eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) based on the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) vascular density maps using a supervised machine learning algorithm. METHODS: OCTA vascular density maps (at superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and total retina (R) levels) of 148 eyes from 78 patients with diabetic retinopathy (45 PDR and 103 NPDR) was used to classify the images to NPDR and PDR groups based on a supervised machine learning algorithm known as the support vector machine (SVM) classifier optimized by a genetic evolutionary algorithm. RESULTS: The implemented algorithm in three different models reached up to 85% accuracy in classifying PDR and NPDR in all three levels of vascular density maps. The deep retinal layer vascular density map demonstrated the best performance with a 90% accuracy in discriminating between PDR and NPDR. CONCLUSIONS: The current study on a limited number of patients with diabetic retinopathy demonstrated that a supervised machine learning-based method known as SVM can be used to differentiate PDR and NPDR patients using OCTA vascular density maps.

Physiologic function of mediastinum space.

The mediastinum forms the central part of the thoracic cavity that is surrounded by pleural space on the two sides, thoracic vertebrae at the posterior, thoracic inlet on the top, and diaphragm at the bottom. It encompasses cardiopulmonary organs and organ systems. Pathological dysfunction or deformity in any part of the mediastinum can have adverse cardiovascular and respqiratory effects. Pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum are the most common congenital chest deformities that are characterized by sternal depression and protuberance of the sternum, respectively. Together, these account for 90% of chest wall deformities. Patients are known to be represented with respiratory distress and cardiovascular dysfunction. The aim of the review article is to present the anatomical and physiological role of the mediastinum in association with important parts of the thoracic cavity and pathological dysfunction of the mediastinum (cardiopulmonary system) due to pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum.