Abstract
Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing field in medical research that could potentially
help in the challenging diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in children. However,
usefulness of AI in clinical settings remains unclear. Our aim was to assess the accuracy
of AIs in the diagnosis of AA in the pediatric population through a systematic literature
review.
Methods PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched using the following keywords: “pediatric,”
“artificial intelligence,” “standard practices,” and “appendicitis,” up to September
2023. The risk of bias was assessed using PROBAST.
Results A total of 302 articles were identified and nine articles were included in the final
review. Two studies had prospective validation, seven were retrospective, and no randomized
control trials were found. All studies developed their own algorithms and had an accuracy
greater than 90% or area under the curve >0.9. All studies were rated as a “high risk”
concerning their overall risk of bias.
Conclusion We analyzed the current status of AI in the diagnosis of appendicitis in children.
The application of AI shows promising potential, but the need for more rigor in study
design, reporting, and transparency is urgent to facilitate its clinical implementation.
Keywords
acute appendicitis - children - artificial intelligence - diagnostic accuracy
