Experience with telepathology in combination with diagnostic assistance systems in countries with restricted resources.

INTRODUCTION

We describe the use of telepathology in countries with restricted resources using two diagnosis assistance systems (Isabel and Memem7) in addition to the diagnoses made by experts in pathology via the iPath-Network.

METHODS

A total of 156 cases, largely from Afghanistan, were analysed; 18 cases had to be excluded because of poor image quality.

RESULTS

Of the remaining 138 cases (100%), a responsible physician provided a tentative diagnosis for 61.6% of them. With a diagnosis from a consultant pathologist, it was then possible to make a definite diagnosis in 84.8% of cases on the basis of images taken from hematoxylin and eosin staining sections alone. The use of the diagnosis assistance systems resulted in an ordered list of differential diagnoses in 82.6% (IsabelHealth) and in 74.6% (Memem7) of cases, respectively. Adding morphological terminology reduced the list of possible diagnoses to 52.2% (72 cases, Memem7), but improved their quality.

DISCUSSION

In summary, diagnosis assistance systems are promising approaches to provide physicians in countries with restricted resources with lists of probable differential diagnoses, thus increasing the plausibility of the diagnosis of the consultant pathologist.