AI can find, classify pleural effusions on chest x-rays

Heat maps represent areas of the radiograph that were activated by the deep-learning network and are used to determine the prediction class (large, moderate, or small pleural effusion). In addition to highlighting the meniscus of the effusion, the heat map also includes the lung parenchyma far above the meniscus. The network may be using the degree of aerated lungs to differentiate these classes of effusion, which in this case is a moderate effusion.