Development of a machine learning model for predicting pneumothorax risk in coaxial core needle biopsy (≤3 cm)

Eur J Radiol. 2024 May 15:176:111508. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111508. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim is to devise a machine learning algorithm exploiting preoperative clinical data to forecast the hazard of pneumothorax post-coaxial needle lung biopsy (CCNB), thereby informing clinical decision-making and enhancing perioperative care.

Method: This retrospective analysis aggregated clinical and imaging data from patients with lung nodules (≤3 cm) biopsies. Variable selection was done using univariate analysis and LASSO regression, with the dataset subsequently divided into training (80 %) and validation (20 %) subsets. Various machine learning (ML) classifiers were employed in a consolidated approach to ascertain the paramount model, which was followed by individualized risk profiling showcased through Shapley Additive eXplanations (SHAP).

Results: Out of the 325 patients included in the study, 19.6% (64/325) experienced postoperative pneumothorax. High-risk factors determined were Cancer, Lesion_type, GOLD, Size, and Depth. The Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB) classifier demonstrated superior prediction with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.71-0.94), complemented by an accuracy rate of 0.8, sensitivity of 0.71, specificity of 0.84, and an F1 score of 0.61 in the test cohort.

Conclusion: The formulated prognostic algorithm exhibited commendable efficacy in preoperatively prognosticating CCNB-induced pneumothorax, harboring the potential to refine personalized risk appraisals, steer clinical judgment, and ameliorate perioperative patient stewardship.

Keywords: Coaxial core needle lung biopsy (CCNB); Machine learning (ML); Pneumothorax; Prediction model; Risk factor.