Analysis on artificial intelligence-based chest computed tomography in multidisciplinary treatment models for discriminating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules

To evaluate the effectiveness of AI-based chest Computed Tomography (CT) in a Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment (MDT) model for differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. This retrospective study screened a total of 87 patients with pulmonary nodules who were treated between January 2019 and December 2020 at Binzhou People's Hospital, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, and Laiwu People's Hospital. AI analysis, MDT consultation, and a combined diagnostic approach were assessed using postoperative pathology as the reference standard. Among 87 nodules, 69 (79.31 %) were malignant, and 18 (20.69 %) were benign. AI analysis showed moderate agreement with pathology (κ = 0.637, p < 0.05), while MDT and the combined approach demonstrated higher consistency (κ = 0.847, 0.888, p < 0.05). Sensitivity and specificity were as follows: AI (89.86 %, 77.78 %, AUC = 0.838), MDT (100 %, 77.78 %, AUC = 0.889), and the combined approach (100 %, 83.33 %, AUC = 0.917). The accuracy of the combined method (96.55 %) was superior to MDT (95.40 %) and AI alone (87.36 %) (p < 0.05). AI-based chest CT combined with MDT may improve diagnostic accuracy and shows potential for broader clinical application.