Title: PENIMA – Penile Imaging

PENIMA is a part of the project HESMEGLE (Health Care Seeking Exploration and Intelligent Morphology Regocnition to Obtain Coherent Patient Trajectory in Men with Genital Lesions) and is the working title for Work Package II (WP II). HESMEGLE is a larger project in collaboration The Research Unit for General Practice at Copenhagen University with a common focus on improvement of the patient trajectory for men with genital lesions.

Aim: In WP II, PENIMA, we aim to develop an image recognition software as an explainable artificial intelligence (AI) based decision-supporting tool for health professionals evaluating penile lesions. The ambition is that this tool could catalyze a new and optimized patient trajectory in men with penile lesions. We plan to develop the AI using digital images of genital lesions and their clinical course. The AI will be available to health care professionals for assistance in recognizing rare changes, biopsy strategies and the need to refer the patient to the right treatment at the correct health care site.

Methods: HESMEGLE WP II is carried out as a clinical prospective data acquisition study in dermatology and urology university hospital settings. After written consent from participants, digital images will be collected on separate and uniquely identified memory cards in a safe and structured data-secure environment. The logistics and data-handling have previously been thoroughly tested and approved for a similar project on bladder lesions and proved to function well in a clinical setting. Images are entered into the artificial intelligence learning platform and retrospectively validated according to histology or clinical course (response to treatment or progression). This will build and reinforce our explainable artificial intelligence-based decision-supporting tool prototype for genital lesions during a period of two years. The application for morphology recognition is already within the study group and developed by our collaborator Jacob Elmose Jensen from the company Cystotech and will be customized to fit study needs. It will be the role of the PhD student to train the artificial intelligence in collaboration with supervisors, company employees and experts in the field.

Status: 

Active Inclusion Sites: 

Dept. of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital

Dept. of Urology, Copenhagen University Hospital

Urological outpatient clinic at Regional hospital of Randers

Urological outpatient clinic at Regional hospital of Horsens

Dept. of Urology, Gødstrup Hospital

Urological outpatient clinic at Regional hospital of Viborg

Dept. of Urology, Vejle Hospital

Urological outpatient clinic at Regional hospital of Aabenraa
 

Included patients: 

Included patients as of February 2025: 750

Collected images as of February 2025: 4.660