Application of convolutional neural networks for automated segmentation and classification in esophageal diseases

Objective: To develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) framework for the automated segmentation and classification of esophageal lesions in endoscopic images. Methods: (1) Lesion localization was performed using a Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (R-CNN). (2) A dual-stream Esophageal Lesion Network (ELNet) was developed to classify images into four diagnostic categories. (3) Lesion segmentation was carried out using an ensemble of three U-Net architectures. Results: The dual-stream ELNet achieved a classification accuracy of 92.14%, with 97.1% specificity and 88.74% sensitivity. The segmentation module based on U-Net attained an overall accuracy of 95.54% and a lesion segmentation sensitivity of 82.89%. The dual-stream ELNet consistently outperformed single-stream baseline networks, and the integrated segmentation-with-classification architecture demonstrated enhanced adaptability across diverse lesion types. Conclusion: The proposed CNN framework enables accurate, robust, and simultaneous classification and segmentation of esophageal endoscopic lesions, exhibiting high performance and clinical potential.