A deep learning algorithm for classification of oral lichen planus lesions from photographic images: a retrospective study

Abstract

IntroductionDeep learning methods have recently been applied for the processing of medical images, and they have shown promise in a variety of applications. This study aimed to develop a deep learning approach for identifying oral lichen planus lesions using photographic images.Material and MethodsAnonymous retrospective photographic images of buccal mucosa with 65 healthy and 72 oral lichen planus lesions were identified using the CranioCatch program (CranioCatch, Eskişehir, Turkey). All images were re-checked and verified by Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Radiology experts. This data set was divided into training (n =51; n=58), verification (n =7; n=7), and test (n =7; n=7) sets for healthy mucosa and mucosa with the oral lichen planus lesion, respectively. In the study, an artificial intelligence model was developed using Google Inception V3 architecture implemented with Tensorflow, which is a deep learning approach.ResultsAI deep learning model provided the classification of all test images for both healthy and diseased mucosa with a 100% success rate.ConclusionIn the healthcare business, AI offers a wide range of uses and applications. The increased effort increased complexity of the job, and probable doctor fatigue may jeopardize diagnostic abilities and results. Artificial intelligence (AI) components in imaging equipment would lessen this effort and increase efficiency. They can also detect oral lesions and have access to more data than their human counterparts. Our preliminary findings show that deep learning has the potential to handle this significant challenge.