Automated detection of superior mesenteric artery occlusion on post-contrast CT Using a 3D deep learning model.
Publication/Presentation Date
6-1-2026
Abstract
PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a 3D deep learning model for detecting superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO) on post-contrast abdominal CT examinations and to assess its performance and clinical impact in a prospective setting.
METHODS: A natural language processing (NLP) model was used to identify reports positive for SMAO, which were manually annotated to create training data. A 3D convolutional neural network was trained to localize SMAO and was tested on cases with previously missed findings. The model was prospectively deployed over a 6-week period to analyze 79,163 post-contrast CT examinations. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), delay times, and quality assurance (QA) metrics were measured.
RESULTS: On the test dataset, a classification threshold of 0.90 yielded 50.0% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity. Prospectively, sensitivity was 67.6% and specificity was 99.6% (AUC = 0.917). The model flagged 237 cases for QA review, of which 83 (35.0%) were confirmed as missed SMAO, indicating that 40.7% of SMAO cases were undiagnosed on the initial read. SMAO incidence was 0.26%. Median delay time was shorter for cases with positive image model results (5.1 min [IQR 2.9-9.6] vs 27.9 min [IQR 8.7-52.7]; p < .001). QA-detected SMAO occurred more often on non-CTA exams (2.4% vs 46.3%; p < .001) and never mentioned SMAO or mesenteric ischemia in their clinical indication (0.0% vs 17.4%; p < .001).
CONCLUSION: A 3D deep learning model accurately detected SMAO on post-contrast abdominal CT with high specificity, reduced reporting delays, and identified clinically important missed findings.
Volume
134
First Page
110810
Last Page
110810
ISSN
1873-4499
Published In/Presented At
Harris, R. J., Baginski, S. G., Bronstein, Y., Schultze, D., Lozano, K. D., Mehta, P. N., Rethy, M. C., Sparrman, K. L., & Kim, S. (2026). Automated detection of superior mesenteric artery occlusion on post-contrast CT Using a 3D deep learning model. Clinical imaging, 134, 110810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinimag.2026.110810
Disciplines
Diagnosis | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment | Radiology
PubMedID
42013611
Department(s)
Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Medical Imaging
Document Type
Article