A radiomics nomogram based on MSCT and clinical factors can stratify fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Intestinal fibrosis is one of the major complications of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and a pathological process that significantly impacts patient prognosis and treatment selection. Although current imaging assessment and clinical markers are widely used for the diagnosis and stratification of fibrosis, these methods suffer from subjectivity and limitations. In this study, we aim to develop a radiomics diagnostic model based on multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and clinical factors. MSCT images and relevant clinical data were collected from 218 IBD patients, and a large number of quantitative image features were extracted. Using these features, we constructed a radiomics model and transformed it into a user-friendly diagnostic nomogram. A nomogram was developed to predict fibrosis in IBD by integrating multiple factors. The nomogram exhibited favorable discriminative ability, with an AUC of 0.865 in the validation sets, surpassing both the logistic regression (LR) model (AUC = 0.821) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.602) in the test set. In the train set, the LR model achieved an AUC of 0.975, while the clinical model had an AUC of 0.735. The nomogram demonstrated superior performance with an AUC of 0.971, suggesting its potential as a valuable tool for predicting fibrosis in IBD and improving clinical decision-making. The radiomics nomogram, incorporating MSCT and clinical factors, demonstrates promise in stratifying fibrosis in IBD. The nomogram outperforms traditional clinical models and offers personalized risk assessment. However, further validation and addressing identified limitations are necessary to enhance its applicability.