Japanese scientists from Kobe University have developed an AI system that can recognize a rare endocrine disorder from a photograph of a hand. The technology is expected to help doctors provide preliminary diagnoses more quickly, El.kz reports.

Acromegaly is a rare disease most often caused by the prolonged secretion of excess growth hormone from a pituitary adenoma. It causes changes in hands, feet and facial bones, but not extreme height. Due to its slow progression, the disease is often not detected for years sometimes taking up to a decade to be diagnosed.

Unlike previous attempts, the researchers decided to focus specifically on the hands, as symptoms are particularly prominent there. To train the model, they used over 11,000 images, including photos of the back of the hand. The study involved 725 participants from 15 medical centers across Japan.

The developers noted that the AI demonstrated high accuracy in identifying the disease during testing. In the future, the scientists plan to expand the system's capabilities to recognize other conditions that manifest in the hands, including rheumatoid arthritis and anemia.

However, the researchers emphasize that the technology is not a replacement for doctors. Diagnosis requires a comprehensive approach, including blood tests and medical examinations; nevertheless, AI can accelerate the detection of the disease and help patients begin treatment sooner.