Fully Convolutional Neural Network Deep Learning Model Fully in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Complicated with Peripheral Neuropathy by High-Frequency Ultrasound Image

Abstract

This study was aimed at exploring the diagnostic value of high-frequency ultrasound imaging based on a fully convolutional neural network (FCN) for peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A total of 70 patients with T2D mellitus were selected and divided into a lesion group ( $n=31$ ) and a nonlesion group ( $n=39$ ) according to the type of peripheral neuropathy. In addition, 30 healthy people were used as controls. Hypervoxel-based and FCN-based high-frequency ultrasound images were used to examine the three groups of patients to evaluate their diagnostic performance and to compare the changes of peripheral nerves and ultrasound characteristics. The results showed that the Dice coefficient (92.7) and mean intersection over union (mIOU) (82.6) of the proposed algorithm after image segmentation were the largest, and the Hausdorff distance (7.6) and absolute volume difference (AVD) (8.9) were the smallest. The high-frequency ultrasound based on the segmentation algorithm showed higher diagnostic accuracy (94.0% vs. 86.0%), sensitivity (87.1% vs. 67.7%), specificity (97.1% vs. 94.2%), positive predictive value (93.1% vs. 86.7%), and negative predictive value (94.4% vs. 84.0%) ( $P<0.05$ ). There were significant differences in the detection values of the three major nerve segments of the upper limbs in the control group, the lesion group, and the nonlesion group ( $P<0.05$ ). Compared with the nonlesion group, the patients in the lesion group were more likely to have reduced nerve bundle echo, blurred reticular structure, thickened epineurium, and unclear borders of adjacent tissues ( $P<0.05$ ). In summary, the high-frequency ultrasound processed by the algorithm proposed in this study showed a high diagnostic value for peripheral neuropathy in T2D patients, and high-frequency ultrasound can be used to evaluate the morphological changes of peripheral nerves in T2D patients.