Alert button
Picture for Arriel Benis

Arriel Benis

Alert button

Understanding metric-related pitfalls in image analysis validation

Feb 09, 2023
Annika Reinke, Minu D. Tizabi, Michael Baumgartner, Matthias Eisenmann, Doreen Heckmann-Nötzel, A. Emre Kavur, Tim Rädsch, Carole H. Sudre, Laura Acion, Michela Antonelli, Tal Arbel, Spyridon Bakas, Arriel Benis, Matthew Blaschko, Florian Büttner, M. Jorge Cardoso, Veronika Cheplygina, Jianxu Chen, Evangelia Christodoulou, Beth A. Cimini, Gary S. Collins, Keyvan Farahani, Luciana Ferrer, Adrian Galdran, Bram van Ginneken, Ben Glocker, Patrick Godau, Robert Haase, Daniel A. Hashimoto, Michael M. Hoffman, Merel Huisman, Fabian Isensee, Pierre Jannin, Charles E. Kahn, Dagmar Kainmueller, Bernhard Kainz, Alexandros Karargyris, Alan Karthikesalingam, Hannes Kenngott, Jens Kleesiek, Florian Kofler, Thijs Kooi, Annette Kopp-Schneider, Michal Kozubek, Anna Kreshuk, Tahsin Kurc, Bennett A. Landman, Geert Litjens, Amin Madani, Klaus Maier-Hein, Anne L. Martel, Peter Mattson, Erik Meijering, Bjoern Menze, Karel G. M. Moons, Henning Müller, Brennan Nichyporuk, Felix Nickel, Jens Petersen, Susanne M. Rafelski, Nasir Rajpoot, Mauricio Reyes, Michael A. Riegler, Nicola Rieke, Julio Saez-Rodriguez, Clara I. Sánchez, Shravya Shetty, Maarten van Smeden, Ronald M. Summers, Abdel A. Taha, Aleksei Tiulpin, Sotirios A. Tsaftaris, Ben Van Calster, Gaël Varoquaux, Manuel Wiesenfarth, Ziv R. Yaniv, Paul F. Jäger, Lena Maier-Hein

Figure 1 for Understanding metric-related pitfalls in image analysis validation
Figure 2 for Understanding metric-related pitfalls in image analysis validation
Figure 3 for Understanding metric-related pitfalls in image analysis validation
Figure 4 for Understanding metric-related pitfalls in image analysis validation

Validation metrics are key for the reliable tracking of scientific progress and for bridging the current chasm between artificial intelligence (AI) research and its translation into practice. However, increasing evidence shows that particularly in image analysis, metrics are often chosen inadequately in relation to the underlying research problem. This could be attributed to a lack of accessibility of metric-related knowledge: While taking into account the individual strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of validation metrics is a critical prerequisite to making educated choices, the relevant knowledge is currently scattered and poorly accessible to individual researchers. Based on a multi-stage Delphi process conducted by a multidisciplinary expert consortium as well as extensive community feedback, the present work provides the first reliable and comprehensive common point of access to information on pitfalls related to validation metrics in image analysis. Focusing on biomedical image analysis but with the potential of transfer to other fields, the addressed pitfalls generalize across application domains and are categorized according to a newly created, domain-agnostic taxonomy. To facilitate comprehension, illustrations and specific examples accompany each pitfall. As a structured body of information accessible to researchers of all levels of expertise, this work enhances global comprehension of a key topic in image analysis validation.

Viaarxiv icon

Metrics reloaded: Pitfalls and recommendations for image analysis validation

Jun 03, 2022
Lena Maier-Hein, Annika Reinke, Evangelia Christodoulou, Ben Glocker, Patrick Godau, Fabian Isensee, Jens Kleesiek, Michal Kozubek, Mauricio Reyes, Michael A. Riegler, Manuel Wiesenfarth, Michael Baumgartner, Matthias Eisenmann, Doreen Heckmann-Nötzel, A. Emre Kavur, Tim Rädsch, Minu D. Tizabi, Laura Acion, Michela Antonelli, Tal Arbel, Spyridon Bakas, Peter Bankhead, Arriel Benis, M. Jorge Cardoso, Veronika Cheplygina, Beth Cimini, Gary S. Collins, Keyvan Farahani, Bram van Ginneken, Daniel A. Hashimoto, Michael M. Hoffman, Merel Huisman, Pierre Jannin, Charles E. Kahn, Alexandros Karargyris, Alan Karthikesalingam, Hannes Kenngott, Annette Kopp-Schneider, Anna Kreshuk, Tahsin Kurc, Bennett A. Landman, Geert Litjens, Amin Madani, Klaus Maier-Hein, Anne L. Martel, Peter Mattson, Erik Meijering, Bjoern Menze, David Moher, Karel G. M. Moons, Henning Müller, Felix Nickel, Brennan Nichyporuk, Jens Petersen, Nasir Rajpoot, Nicola Rieke, Julio Saez-Rodriguez, Clarisa Sánchez Gutiérrez, Shravya Shetty, Maarten van Smeden, Carole H. Sudre, Ronald M. Summers, Abdel A. Taha, Sotirios A. Tsaftaris, Ben Van Calster, Gaël Varoquaux, Paul F. Jäger

Figure 1 for Metrics reloaded: Pitfalls and recommendations for image analysis validation
Figure 2 for Metrics reloaded: Pitfalls and recommendations for image analysis validation
Figure 3 for Metrics reloaded: Pitfalls and recommendations for image analysis validation
Figure 4 for Metrics reloaded: Pitfalls and recommendations for image analysis validation

The field of automatic biomedical image analysis crucially depends on robust and meaningful performance metrics for algorithm validation. Current metric usage, however, is often ill-informed and does not reflect the underlying domain interest. Here, we present a comprehensive framework that guides researchers towards choosing performance metrics in a problem-aware manner. Specifically, we focus on biomedical image analysis problems that can be interpreted as a classification task at image, object or pixel level. The framework first compiles domain interest-, target structure-, data set- and algorithm output-related properties of a given problem into a problem fingerprint, while also mapping it to the appropriate problem category, namely image-level classification, semantic segmentation, instance segmentation, or object detection. It then guides users through the process of selecting and applying a set of appropriate validation metrics while making them aware of potential pitfalls related to individual choices. In this paper, we describe the current status of the Metrics Reloaded recommendation framework, with the goal of obtaining constructive feedback from the image analysis community. The current version has been developed within an international consortium of more than 60 image analysis experts and will be made openly available as a user-friendly toolkit after community-driven optimization.

* Shared first authors: Lena Maier-Hein, Annika Reinke. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2104.05642 
Viaarxiv icon