Holmen SD, Kjetland EF, Taylor M, Kleppa E, Lillebø K, Gundersen SG, Onsrud M, Albregtsen F
Journal title: Medical engineering & physics
Med Eng Phys 2015 Mar;37(3):309-14
PMID: 25630808
Article on PubMed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25630808
Abstract
Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a highly prevalent waterborne disease in some of the poorest areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Reliable and affordable diagnostics are unavailable. We explored colourimetric image analysis to identify the characteristic, yellow lesions caused by FGS. We found that the method may yield a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 73% in colposcopic images. The accuracy was also explored in images of simulated inferior quality, to assess the possibility of implementing such a method in simple, electronic devices. This represents the first step towards developing a safe and affordable aid in clinical diagnosis, allowing for a point-of-care approach.