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Shi W, Georgiou P, Akram A, Proute MC, Serhiyenia T, Kerolos ME, Pradeep R, Kothur NR, Khan S. Diagnostic Pitfalls of Digital Microscopy Versus Light Microscopy in Gastrointestinal Pathology: A Systematic Review. Cureus 2021; 13:e17116. [PMID: 34548958 PMCID: PMC8437006 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital microscopy (DM) is one of the cutting-edge advances in pathology, which entails improved efficiency, diagnostic advantages, and potential application in virtual diagnosis, particularly in the current era of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the diagnostic challenges are the remaining concerns for its wider adoption by pathologists, and these concerns should be addressed in a specific subspecialty. We aim to identify the common diagnostic pitfalls of whole slide imaging (WSI), one modality of DM, in gastrointestinal (GI) pathology. From validating studies of primary diagnosis performance, we included 16 records with features on GI cases involved, at least two weeks wash-out periods, and more than 60 case study designs. A tailored quality appraisal assessment was utilized to evaluate the risks of bias for these diagnostic accuracy studies. Furthermore, due to the highly heterogeneous studies and unstandardized definition of discordance, we extract the discordant cases in GI pathology and calculate the discrepant rate, resulting from 0.5% to 64.28%. Targeting discrepancy cases between digital microscopy and light microscopy, we demonstrate five main diagnostic pitfalls regarding WSI as follows: additional time to review slides in WSI, hard to identify dysplasia nucleus, missed organisms like Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), specific cell recognitions, and technical issues. After detailed reviews and analysis, we generate two essential suggestions for further GI cases signing out by DM. One is to use systematized 20x scans for diagnostic workouts and requesting 40x or even 60x scans for challenging cases; another is that a high-volume slides training should be set before the real clinical application of WSI for primary diagnosis, particularly in GI pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangpan Shi
- Pathology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Petros Georgiou
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.,Department of Oncology, Oxford University, Oxford, GBR
| | - Aqsa Akram
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Matthew C Proute
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Tatsiana Serhiyenia
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Mina E Kerolos
- General Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Roshini Pradeep
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Nageshwar R Kothur
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Safeera Khan
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
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Melo RCN, Raas MWD, Palazzi C, Neves VH, Malta KK, Silva TP. Whole Slide Imaging and Its Applications to Histopathological Studies of Liver Disorders. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 6:310. [PMID: 31970160 PMCID: PMC6960181 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Histological analysis of hepatic tissue specimens is essential for evaluating the pathology of several liver disorders such as chronic liver diseases, hepatocellular carcinomas, liver steatosis, and infectious liver diseases. Manual examination of histological slides on the microscope is a classically used method to study these disorders. However, it is considered time-consuming, limited, and associated with intra- and inter-observer variability. Emerging technologies such as whole slide imaging (WSI), also termed virtual microscopy, have increasingly been used to improve the assessment of histological features with applications in both clinical and research laboratories. WSI enables the acquisition of the tissue morphology/pathology from glass slides and translates it into a digital form comparable to a conventional microscope, but with several advantages such as easy image accessibility and storage, portability, sharing, annotation, qualitative and quantitative image analysis, and use for educational purposes. WSI-generated images simultaneously provide high resolution and a wide field of observation that can cover the entire section, extending any single field of view. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the application of WSI to histopathological analyses of liver disorders as well as to understand liver biology. We address how WSI may improve the assessment and quantification of multiple histological parameters in the liver, and help diagnose several hepatic conditions with important clinical implications. The WSI technical limitations are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana C N Melo
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Maximilian W D Raas
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.,Faculty of Medical Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Cinthia Palazzi
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Vitor H Neves
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Kássia K Malta
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Thiago P Silva
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
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Abstract
Virtual microscopy is a method for digitizing images of tissue on glass slides and using a computer to view, navigate, change magnification, focus and mark areas of interest. Virtual microscope systems (also called digital pathology or whole slide imaging systems) offer several advantages for biological scientists who use slides as part of their general, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or clinical research. The systems usually are based on one of two methodologies: area scanning or line scanning. Virtual microscope systems enable automatic sample detection, virtual-Z acquisition and creation of focal maps. Virtual slides are layered with multiple resolutions at each location, including the highest resolution needed to allow more detailed review of specific regions of interest. Scans may be acquired at 2, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 100 × or a combination of magnifications to highlight important detail. Digital microscopy starts when a slide collection is put into an automated or manual scanning system. The original slides are archived, then a server allows users to review multilayer digital images of the captured slides either by a closed network or by the internet. One challenge for adopting the technology is the lack of a universally accepted file format for virtual slides. Additional challenges include maintaining focus in an uneven sample, detecting specimens accurately, maximizing color fidelity with optimal brightness and contrast, optimizing resolution and keeping the images artifact-free. There are several manufacturers in the field and each has not only its own approach to these issues, but also its own image analysis software, which provides many options for users to enhance the speed, quality and accuracy of their process through virtual microscopy. Virtual microscope systems are widely used and are trusted to provide high quality solutions for teleconsultation, education, quality control, archiving, veterinary medicine, research and other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Higgins
- Olympus Corporation of the Americas , Center Valley, Pennsylvania
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Goode A, Gilbert B, Harkes J, Jukic D, Satyanarayanan M. OpenSlide: A vendor-neutral software foundation for digital pathology. J Pathol Inform 2013; 4:27. [PMID: 24244884 PMCID: PMC3815078 DOI: 10.4103/2153-3539.119005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although widely touted as a replacement for glass slides and microscopes in pathology, digital slides present major challenges in data storage, transmission, processing and interoperability. Since no universal data format is in widespread use for these images today, each vendor defines its own proprietary data formats, analysis tools, viewers and software libraries. This creates issues not only for pathologists, but also for interoperability. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of OpenSlide, a vendor-neutral C library for reading and manipulating digital slides of diverse vendor formats. The library is extensible and easily interfaced to various programming languages. An application written to the OpenSlide interface can transparently handle multiple vendor formats. OpenSlide is in use today by many academic and industrial organizations world-wide, including many research sites in the United States that are funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Goode
- School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States ; Google, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Klapczynski M, Gagne GD, Morgan SJ, Larson KJ, Leroy BE, Blomme EA, Cox BF, Shek EW. Computer-assisted imaging algorithms facilitate histomorphometric quantification of kidney damage in rodent renal failure models. J Pathol Inform 2012; 3:20. [PMID: 22616032 PMCID: PMC3352620 DOI: 10.4103/2153-3539.95456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Surgical 5/6 nephrectomy and adenine-induced kidney failure in rats are frequently used models of progressive renal failure. In both models, rats develop significant morphological changes in the kidneys and quantification of these changes can be used to measure the efficacy of prophylactic or therapeutic approaches. In this study, the Aperio Genie Pattern Recognition technology, along with the Positive Pixel Count, Nuclear and Rare Event algorithms were used to quantify histological changes in both rat renal failure models. Methods: Analysis was performed on digitized slides of whole kidney sagittal sections stained with either hematoxylin and eosin or immunohistochemistry with an anti-nestin antibody to identify glomeruli, regenerating tubular epithelium, and tubulointerstitial myofibroblasts. An anti-polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) antibody was also used to investigate neutrophil tissue infiltration. Results: Image analysis allowed for rapid and accurate quantification of relevant histopathologic changes such as increased cellularity and expansion of glomeruli, renal tubular dilatation, and degeneration, tissue inflammation, and mineral aggregation. The algorithms provided reliable and consistent results in both control and experimental groups and presented a quantifiable degree of damage associated with each model. Conclusion: These algorithms represent useful tools for the uniform and reproducible characterization of common histomorphologic features of renal injury in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Klapczynski
- Investigative Toxicology and Pathology, Abbott Laboratories, 100 Abbott Park Rd, Abbott Park, IL 60064, USA
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Puppa G, Risio M, Sheahan K, Vieth M, Zlobec I, Lugli A, Pecori S, Wang LM, Langner C, Mitomi H, Nakamura T, Watanabe M, Ueno H, Chasle J, Senore C, Conley SA, Herlin P, Lauwers GY. Standardization of whole slide image morphologic assessment with definition of a new application: Digital slide dynamic morphometry. J Pathol Inform 2011; 2:48. [PMID: 22200031 PMCID: PMC3237062 DOI: 10.4103/2153-3539.86830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In histopathology, the quantitative assessment of various morphologic features is based on methods originally conceived on specific areas observed through the microscope used. Failure to reproduce the same reference field of view using a different microscope will change the score assessed. Visualization of a digital slide on a screen through a dedicated viewer allows selection of the magnification. However, the field of view is rectangular, unlike the circular field of optical microscopy. In addition, the size of the selected area is not evident, and must be calculated. MATERIALS AND METHODS A digital slide morphometric system was conceived to reproduce the various methods published for assessing tumor budding in colorectal cancer. Eighteen international experts in colorectal cancer were invited to participate in a web-based study by assessing tumor budding with five different methods in 100 digital slides. RESULTS The specific areas to be tested by each method were marked by colored circles. The areas were grouped in a target-like pattern and then saved as an .xml file. When a digital slide was opened, the .xml file was imported in order to perform the measurements. Since the morphometric tool is composed of layers that can be freely moved on top of the digital slide, the technique was named digital slide dynamic morphometry. Twelve investigators completed the task, the majority of them performing the multiple evaluations of each of the cases in less than 12 minutes. CONCLUSIONS Digital slide dynamic morphometry has various potential applications and might be a useful tool for the assessment of histologic parameters originally conceived for optical microscopy that need to be quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Puppa
- Division of Pathology, G. Fracastoro, City Hospital, Verona
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Molnar B, Berczi L, Diczhazy C, Tagscherer A, Varga SV, Szende B, Tulassay Z. Digital slide and virtual microscopy based routine and telepathology evaluation of routine gastrointestinal biopsy specimens. J Clin Pathol 2003; 56:433-8. [PMID: 12783970 PMCID: PMC1769977 DOI: 10.1136/jcp.56.6.433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2003] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To evaluate a recently developed digital slide and virtual microscope system, and to compare this method with optical microscopy on routine gastrointestinal biopsy specimens in both local and remote access modes. METHODS A fully computer controlled commercial microscope was used. The scanning program included object detection, autofocus, and image compression algorithms. The overall hard disk space for a gastric biopsy was between 30 and 50 MB and the scanning time was between 20 and 40 minutes. Haematoxylin and eosin stained routine gastric (61) and colon (42) biopsy specimens were selected, scanned, and evaluated by two specialists on an optical (OM) and virtual microscope (VM). RESULTS The overall concordance of VM and OM with the consensus diagnosis was 95.1% and 97%, respectively. Clinically important concordance was 96.1% and 98% for VM and OM, respectively. The two methods showed concordance in 92% of cases and clinically important concordance in 94.1% of cases. The reasons for discordance were image quality (one case), interpretation difference (three cases), and insufficient clinical information (three cases). Remote evaluation of the digital slides through the Internet has the advantages of the previously used static and dynamic telepathology methods. CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic concordance was found between OM and VM. The digital slide and the virtual microscope can be alternative techniques in the computerisation of the histology laboratory and in teleconsultation services after further evaluation of time and storage constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Molnar
- Digital Microscopy Laboratory, Second Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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