ReviewNPJ digital medicine2021
Diagnostic accuracy of deep learning in medical imaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in NPJ digital medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 385 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
385 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 821 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diagnostic Performance of Machine Learning for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Diagnostic accuracy of AI-assisted point-of-care ultrasound for abdominal free fluid detection in FAST trauma assessment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC emergency medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Artificial intelligence models in cerebral infarction: performance and applications in diagnosis, classification, grading, treatment, and disease course prediction-a systematic review.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2026Pooled it
- Image-Based Deep Learning for Cataract Diagnosis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Interpretation of Electroretinography (ERG) Studies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Artificial Intelligence Applications in Medical Devices for Personalized Health Care Solutions: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of necrotising enterocolitis from abdominal radiographs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Diagnostic performance of machine learning and deep learning algorithms for thyroid cancer metastasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2025Pooled it
- Detection and Management of Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Noninvasive Retinal Images and Artificial Intelligence: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- The use of machine learning in transarterial chemoembolisation/transarterial embolisation for patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review.La Radiologia medica · 2025Pooled it
- Artificial Intelligence Performance in Image-Based Cancer Identification: Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Detection of Alzheimer Disease in Neuroimages Using Vision Transformers: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative accuracy of artificial intelligence versus manual interpretation in detecting pulmonary hypertension across chest imaging modalities: a diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis.Frontiers in artificial intelligence · 2025Pooled it
- Research progress of MRI-based radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- Diagnostic accuracy of deep learning in prediction of osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Pooled it
- Clinician-accessible automated machine learning in oral healthcare: A systematic review.The Japanese dental science review · 2026Review
- Deep learning for coronary arteries identification and measurement in pediatric echocardiography.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Exploring Bias in Medical Applications of Large Language Models: Protocol for a Systematic Review.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Perspectives on the Limits and Clinical Alignment of Medical AI from Population Statistics to Individual Care.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Predicting brain tumour enhancement from non-contrast MRI with artificial intelligence: a multicohort, retrospective, diagnostic accuracy study.The Lancet medical imaging & theranostics · 2026Article
325 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Deep learning (DL) has the potential to transform medical diagnostics. However, the diagnostic accuracy of DL is uncertain. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of DL algorithms to identify pathology in medical imaging. Searches were conducted in Medline and EMBASE up to January 2020. We identified 11,921 studies, of which 503 were included in the systematic review. Eighty-two studies in ophthalmology, 82 in breast disease and 115 in respiratory disease were included for meta-analysis. Two hundred twenty-four studies in other specialities were included for qualitative review. Peer-reviewed studies that reported on the diagnostic accuracy of DL algorithms to identify pathology using medical imaging were included. Primary outcomes were measures of diagnostic accuracy, study design and reporting standards in the literature. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. In ophthalmology, AUC's ranged between 0.933 and 1 for diagnosing diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma on retinal fundus photographs and optical coherence tomography. In respiratory imaging, AUC's ranged between 0.864 and 0.937 for diagnosing lung nodules or lung cancer on chest X-ray or CT scan. For breast imaging, AUC's ranged between 0.868 and 0.909 for diagnosing breast cancer on mammogram, ultrasound, MRI and digital breast tomosynthesis. Heterogeneity was high between studies and extensive variation in methodology, terminology and outcome measures was noted. This can lead to an overestimation of the diagnostic accuracy of DL algorithms on medical imaging. There is an immediate need for the development of artificial intelligence-specific EQUATOR guidelines, particularly STARD, in order to provide guidance around key issues in this field.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.