The UAB Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery has been at the forefront of establishing an adrenal gland incidentaloma clinic guided by artificial intelligence (AI).
Incidentalomas, which are findings identified during an imaging exam performed for unrelated reasons, can pose complications to continued medical treatment, without clear guidelines for follow-up and evaluation.
Adrenal nodules frequently appear in about 5-10% of scans performed in acute settings like the Emergency Room – giving both a surprise to the patient and an added level of complexity for healthcare providers.
While most adrenal nodules are benign, any incidental nodules, particularly those measuring over one centimeter or showing concerning features, require further investigation. When detected early, an adrenalectomy, or the removal of adrenal glands, can prevent the spread of cancer or more serious symptoms.
Identifying adrenal nodules in unrelated radiological imaging
Artificial intelligence, particularly natural language processing (NLP) tools, automatically flags patients whose radiology reports contain specific keywords related to adrenal gland incidentalomas. Once flagged, a provider reviews the patients' medical records to determine if there are any indications for additional care.
“Although malignant nodules in the adrenal area are rare, failing to identify a concerning lesion can significantly impact life expectancy, overall quality of life, and complicate the management of chronic diseases, such as hypertension,” says UAB Department of Surgery Associate Professor Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP.
About the Adrenal Gland Incidentaloma Clinic team
The establishment of the NLP-Informed Adrenal Gland Incidentaloma Clinic resulted from a collaborative effort among various departments. This includes Srini Tridandapani, Ph.D., M.D., MBA, chair of the UAB Department of Radiology, and John Osborne, Ph.D., UAB Department of Bioinformatics and Data Science associate professor. Additionally, Haleigh Negrete, CRNP, has played a vital role in the clinic's development and operations by treating patients weekly who were referred due to the finding of an adrenal gland incidentaloma. The project has also included the participation of fellows, researchers, and attending physicians from across the UAB Department of Surgery.