Can AI help doctors track lung disease in scleroderma patients?

A new study published in Respiratory Research explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors monitor lung disease in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma. The study suggests that AI can analyse lung scans to better detect and track interstitial lung disease (ILD), a common complication of SSc. 

Background

Scleroderma is a rare condition that causes the skin and organs to become scarred. It is an autoimmune disease that involves the hardening and tightening of the skin. It can also affect blood flow, organs and digestion, and lead to various health problems. 

Many people with SSc develop interstitial lung disease (ILD), which can lead to difficulty breathing and worsens over time. Doctors usually monitor ILD using lung function tests and CT scans, but it can be hard to measure how quickly the disease is changing. AI could offer a more reliable way to track changes in lung health over time. 

What did the study look at?

Researchers tested an AI tool called icolung to see if it could detect lung damage in CT scans of 75 people with SSc who had developed ILD. They compared the findings from AI with traditional lung function tests to see if AI could help doctors spot when a person‘s condition is getting worse.

What do the results show? 

• The AI tool was able to accurately find lung damage in people whose disease was worsening compared to those whose condition was stable. It could also spot when people with worsening lung disease had more lung scarring.  

• The AI measurements matched well with changes in breathing ability, showing that AI could be useful for tracking disease progression.  

Why is this important?

This study shows that AI could help doctors monitor lung disease in people with SSc. AI tools may offer a faster and more consistent way to check for changes in lung health, helping doctors identify when a person’s condition is getting worse. More research is needed before AI can become a standard part of patient care. Further studies are needed to test AI on a larger group of people to see if it can help guide treatment decisions.

Read the original research paper here.