Application of convolutional network models in detection of intracranial aneurysms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Intracranial aneurysms have a high prevalence in human population. It also has a heavy burden of disease and high mortality rate in the case of rupture. Convolutional neural network(CNN) is a type of deep learning architecture which has been proven powerful to detect intracranial aneurysms. Methods Four databases were searched using artificial intelligence, intracranial aneurysms, and synonyms to find eligible studies. Articles which had applied CNN for detection of intracranial aneurisms were included in this review. Sensitivity and specificity of the models and human readers regarding modality, size, and location of aneurysms were sought to be extracted. Random model was the preferred model for analyses using CMA 2 to determine pooled sensitivity and specificity. Results Overall, 20 studies were used in this review. Deep learning models could detect intracranial aneurysms with a sensitivity of 90/6% (CI: 87/2–93/2%) and specificity of 94/6% (CI: 0/914–0/966). CTA was the most sensitive modality (92.0%(CI:85/2–95/8%)). Overall sensitivity of the models for aneurysms more than 3 mm was above 98% (98%-100%) and 74.6 for aneurysms less than 3 mm. With the aid of AI, the clinicians’ sensitivity increased to 12/8% and interrater agreement to 0/193. Conclusion CNN models had an acceptable sensitivity for detection of intracranial aneurysms, surpassing human readers in some fields. The logical approach for application of deep learning models would be its use as a highly capable assistant. In essence, deep learning models are a groundbreaking technology that can assist clinicians and allow them to diagnose intracranial aneurysms more accurately.