An artificial intelligence (AI) program can identify chronic liver disease from videos taken during a common heart test known as an echocardiogram, Cedars-Sinai investigators report. Incorporating AI into echocardiograms, which capture images of the heart and the liver, can lead to a diagnosis of liver disease without additional costs, said Alan Kwan, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

Echocardiography is the use of ultrasound to visual the heart and its associated structures. The imaging test is a common early screening test doctors prescribe if they suspect a patient has cardiovascular disease. A standard echocardiogram study often contains more than 50 videos, of which a few typically include images of the liver.

People with heart disease often develop chronic liver disease, distinguishing between primary liver disease and liver injury secondary to heart disease can be challenging, said David Ouyang, MD, a cardiologist in the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart  Institute, an investigator in the Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, and a senior author of the study. Our deep-learning model can help doctors spot liver disease that might have gone unnoticed and thus direct appropriate follow-up testing.

An estimated 4.5 million people have been diagnosed with liver disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But experts with the American Liver Foundation say many more people likely have undiagnosed steatotic liver disease, the condition formerly called fatty liver disease. An estimated 4.5 million people have been diagnosed with liver disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But experts with the American Liver Foundation say many more people likely have undiagnosed steatotic liver disease, the condition formerly called fatty liver disease.

Source: https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/artificial-intelligence-helps-find-undiagnosed-liver-disease/