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Eur J Pediatr Surg 2024; 34(05): 385-391
DOI: 10.1055/a-2257-5122
Review Article

Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis and Management of Appendicitis in Pediatric Departments: A Systematic Review

Robin Rey
1   Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
,
Renato Gualtieri 
2   Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
,
Giorgio La Scala
3   Division of Pediatric Surgery, Hôpital des enfants, Geneva University Hospitals, Genève, Switzerland
,
Klara Posfay Barbe
4   Division of General Pediatrics, Hôpital des enfants, Geneva University Hospitals, Genève, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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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

Ethical Approval

No ethical approval was required as the review concerns data from previously published studies.


Consent for Publication

The manuscript does not contain any individual's data in any form.


Availability of Data and Materials

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.


Competing Interests

None declared.


Author Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. R.R. and R.G. carried out the literature search, extracted and analyzed the data, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; K.P.B. and G.L.S. reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content; all authors approved the final version of the manuscript.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 23 October 2023

Accepted: 25 January 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
30 January 2024

Article published online:
29 February 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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