Deploying a novel deep learning framework for segmentation of specific anatomical structures on cone-beam CT.

Aim: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging plays a crucial role in dentistry, with automatic prediction of anatomical structures on CBCT images potentially enhancing diagnostic and planning procedures. This study aims to predict anatomical structures automatically on CBCT images using a deep learning algorithm.

Materials and methods: CBCT images from 70 patients were analyzed. Anatomical structures were annotated using a regional segmentation tool within an annotation software by two dentomaxillofacial radiologists. Each volumetric dataset comprised 405 slices, with relevant anatomical structures marked in each slice. Seventy DICOM images were converted to Nifti format, with seven reserved for testing and the remaining sixty-three used for training. The training utilized nnUNetv2 with an initial learning rate of 0.01, decreasing by 0.00001 at each epoch, and was conducted for 1000 epochs. Statistical analysis included accuracy, Dice score, precision, and recall results.

Results: The segmentation model achieved an accuracy of 0.99 for nasal fossa, maxillary sinus, nasopalatine canal, mandibular canal, foramen mentale, and foramen mandible, with corresponding Dice scores of 0.85, 0.98, 0.79, 0.73, 0.78, and 0.74, respectively. Precision values ranged from 0.73 to 0.98. Maxillary sinus segmentation exhibited the highest performance, while mandibular canal segmentation showed the lowest performance.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate high accuracy and precision across most structures, with varying Dice scores indicating the consistency of segmentation. Overall, our segmentation model exhibits robust performance in delineating anatomical features in CBCT images, promising potential applications in dental diagnostics and treatment planning.