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Title: WhatsApp is an effective tool for obtaining second opinion in oral pathology
practice
Sachin C Sarode1 (BDS, MDS, PhD), Gargi S Sarode1 (BDS, MDS, PhD), Rahul Anand1
(BDS, MDS), Shankargouda Patil2 (BDS, MDS), Hemant Unadkat3 (BDS, MS, PhD)
3
Clinician Scientist and Principal Investigator
National Dental Centre of Singapore
5 Second Hospital Avenue,
Singapore 168938
Corresponding author:
Prof. Dr. Sachin Sarode
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology
Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital
This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not
been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may
lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as
doi: 10.1111/jop.12515
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth,
Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri
Pune: 411018
Accepted Article
Mob. No: 9922491465
Email: drsachinsarode@gmail.com
Title: WhatsApp is an effective tool for obtaining second opinion in oral pathology
practice
Abstract:
Background: The aim of the present study was to find out the efficacy of WhatsApp
application for obtaining second opinion on histopathological diagnosis in oral
pathology practice.
Results: Out of 4795 (97.06%) total second opinion received, correct SOD was received
for 4710 (98.22%) cases. 100 % times correct SOD was received for lesions including
adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, keratinizing cystic odontogenic tumor, odontome,
dentigerous cyst, etc. Lesions such as myoepithelial carcinoma, osteosarcoma,
fibrosarcoma and intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia received less
percentage of correct SOD (85.71 to 75.75%). Correct SOD was obtained for variants of
ameloblastoma (99.01%), grading of epithelial dysplasia (87.54%) and squamous cell
carcinoma (95.26%). A positive correlation was observed between correct SOD and age
(p = 0.0143) and experience (p = 0.0189) of the pathologist. The time taken for giving
second opinion by the pathologists ranged from 81.98 ± 32.89 minutes to 90.72 ± 38.88
minutes.
Introduction:
SOD has become a crucial aspect of day-to-day practice for histopathologists worldwide.
Usually the slides and tissue blocks are exchanged for second opinion as the pathologist
prefers to view the slides in real time. However, such practice often leads to diagnostic
delay, which could prove critical in cases of malignant lesions. It has been reported that
diagnostic delay is often associated with poor prognosis in cases of malignant
disorders.1,2
Increased use of smartphones and the endless application possibilities that have
augmented with the software applications has created a new era in clinical data
exchange among clinicians.3 WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging
application that allows the exchange of text messages, images, audio, and video
messages using the internet connection.4 A popular feature of ‘group chat’, allows
people to communicate, share images and videos over a common interface.5 Its efficacy
and utility has been demonstrated in various clinical settings. For instance, in
traumatology cases, WhatsApp has been used to establish an initial diagnosis and
The present study was carried out in the department of oral pathology and
microbiology at Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Pimpri, Pune, India. The
institution’s scientific and ethics committee approved the study.
Smartphones: 8 megapixel lens, 3x zoom and 640 x 960 pixels resolution, HDR and
autofocus facility were the minimum camera specifications available in the
smartphones used. These specifications are sufficient to capture microscopic images
from the binocular compound microscope.
Study groups: Total 30 oral pathologists participated in the present study from all over
India. All oral pathologists had Dental Council of India recognized ‘Masters in Oral
Pathology and Microbiology’ degree with a 10 years of academic experience in various
Photomicrograph
A total of six photomicrographs were taken for each case/slide: 1 scanner view (X50), 2
low power (X100) and 3 high power magnification (X400). However, for smaller tissues,
less than six photomicrographs were selected. The allotted pathologist from Group A
solely had selected the representative area from the slides for photomicrography. Each
captured image went through a quick screening by the designated pathologist for its
clarity. The final images were then sent to group B pathologists only after obtaining
satisfactory clear images of the slides.
Broadcast facility: In Broadcast facility, recipients receive the broadcast message like a
regular message i.e. directly in the individual chat.9 In the present study, broadcast list
was prepared which included 20 participating oral pathologists from group B. The
images and clinical information was shared via broadcast facility of WhatsApp.
Case selection:
We identified a total of 247 cases/slides of 34 oral pathologies for inclusion in the
present study. The pathologies selected were odontogenic tumors (52), odontogenic
cysts (28), malignant epithelial tumors (45), oral potentially malignant disorders (40),
salivary gland neoplasms (15), fibro-osseous lesions (8), malignant connective tissue
neoplasms (5), benign connective tissue neoplasms (8) and others (46) (Table 1).
Twenty four to twenty five cases of each lesion were randomly allotted to 10 different
pathologists from group A. Each pathologist was asked to acquire six photomicrographs
of each slide/case on his/her smartphone as described above. All the captured
photomicrographs by group A pathologists were sent to group B pathologists using
Broadcast facility of WhatsApp. The photomicrographs were accompanied by a brief
clinical and demographic description of the patient such as age, sex, site, clinical
presentation, duration etc. In cases of leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma,
Statistical analysis:
The comparison of mean time required for SOD between different oral pathologies was
done using ANOVA and unpaired ‘t’ test. Pearson Correlation Coefficient test was used
to study the correlation between correct SOD and experience/age of the oral
pathologists. All statistical analysis was done using GraphPad Prism 7 and p < 0.05 was
considered as statistically significant.
In cases of leukoplakia, out of 297 SOD received, 260 (87.54%) were correct for grading
of dysplasia. Most accurate SOD for grading of dysplasia was discerned for mild
dysplasia (94.20%) followed by moderate (84.03%) and severe (75%). Similarly, in case
of oral squamous cell carcinoma, out of 613 SOD received, 584 (95.26%) correct SOD
were received in accordance with the histopathological grading. Most accurate SOD for
grading of oral squamous cell carcinoma was for well differentiated (98.74%) followed
by moderately differentiated (94.46%) and poorly differentiated (80%). (Table 3)
Mean time required for the SOD of odontogenic tumor showed statistically significant
difference with the odontogenic cysts (p < 0.0001), malignant epithelial tumors (p <
0.0001), oral potentially malignant disorders (p < 0.0001), salivary gland tumors (p <
0.0001), fibro-osseous lesions (p = 0.0004), malignant connective tissue tumors (p =
0.0426), benign connective tissue tumors (p = 0.0014) and other pathologies (p <
0.0001).
The mean time required for the SOD of odontogenic cysts showed statistically
significant difference with the odontogenic tumors (p<0.0001). However, no significant
difference was observed with other groups of pathologies. In case of malignant
epithelial tumors, comparison with odontogenic tumors (p < 0.0001) and other
pathologies (p = 0.0116) showed statistically significant differences. Oral potentially
malignant disorders showed statistically significant results when compared with
odontogenic tumors (p<0.0001), malignant connective tissue tumors (p=0.0158),
benign connective tissue tumors (p=0.0214), salivary gland tumors (p=0.0318) and
other pathologies (p=0.0267) while the comparison with other pathologies was
statistically insignificant. Salivary gland tumors showed significant statistical difference
when compared with odontogenic tumors (p<0.0001) and other pathologies
(p<0.0001). Mean time utilized by benign connective tissue neoplasms for second
opinion showed significant results when compared to odontogenic tumors (p=0.0014),
oral potentially malignant disorders (p=0.0214) and other pathologies (p=0.0002). For
fibro-osseous lesions statistically significant results were found when compared with
odontogenic tumors’ group (p=0.0014) and other pathologies’ group (p=0.0086).
Discussion
Smartphones have emerged as essential tools providing assistance in patient care,
monitoring, rehabilitation, communication, diagnosis, teaching, research and
reference.10 Recently, few attempts have been made to study the usefulness of
WhatsApp technology in dental clinics. Petruzzi et al.11 studied the use of WhatsApp as a
telemedicine platform for facilitating remote oral medicine consultation and improving
clinical examination. Clinical images and related questions were submitted by general
dentists, physicians, dental hygienists and patients to the authors via WhatsApp. Zotti et
al.12 studied the usefulness of WhatsApp in improving oral hygiene compliance in
adolescent orthodontic patients.
None of the pathologists asked for additional photomicrographs for second opinion.
However, in actual practice numerous photomicrographs of various magnifications can
be captured and exchanged for obtaining SOD. In the present study, for smaller tissue
samples (especially mucosal pathologies like leukoplakia), it was possible to cover the
complete tissue area in scanner and low power magnifications.
All the SOD requests were sent using the Broadcast Facility of WhatsApp.7 We also had
the option of creating a ‘WhatsApp Group’ for 20 oral pathologists in which the message
would be visible to all the pathologists present in the group but that would have steered
into bias influencing the diagnosis. As majority of the pathologists from group B (14)
were comfortable in receiving the second opinion request privately in their chats, we
opted for the ‘Broadcast’ facility available on WhatsApp for the present study.
In the present study, out of 4795 (97.06%) total SOD received, number of correct SOD
i.e. 4710 (98.22%) was significantly higher as compared to incorrect opinions i.e. 85
(1.77%). Every time (100%) correct SOD was received for adenomatoid odontogenic
tumor, keratinizing cystic odontogenic tumor, odontome, dentigerous cyst, melanoma,
etc. (Table 1) As these pathologies are easy to diagnose because of their pathognomonic
histopathological appearances, accurate diagnoses were received consistently.
Comparatively, lesions like myoepithelial carcinoma, osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and
intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia received less percentage of correct SOD
(85.71%-75.75%). (Table 1) These lesions are difficult to diagnose because of their
rarity and confusing histopathological appearances. In actual practice, these are the
lesions, which require SOD more often than usual. Nevertheless, WhatsApp has
facilitated acquisition of fairly good percentage of correct SOD for such cases.
Out of 406 (96.66%) SOD received for ameloblastoma, 402 (99.01%) SOD were able to
identify histopathological variants correctly. (Table 2) The inaccurate histopathological
variants were diagnosed for unicystic and desmoplastic ameloblastoma in 2.77% and
5.12% respectively. These results suggested that microscopic images captured through
smartphones cameras were sharp enough to pick up the squamous and granular
metaplasia of the stellate reticulum like cells of ameloblastoma thus aiding the accurate
identification of histopathological variant of ameloblastoma.
For total 247 cases, the time required for SOD ranged from 7 to 478 minutes with a
mean of 83.8 ± 39.08 minutes. Time required for conventional method for obtaining
SOD depends upon the availability, appointment and location of the consultant
pathologist. If the consultant is based in another city or state, it usually takes more time
for obtaining the SOD. Present study demonstrated the efficacy of WhatsApp in
obtaining SOD in the field of oral pathology within the shortest period of time. It is also
possible to obtain general pathology SOD from experts who are based in other cities,
state or country in a brief period of time.
It is known that WhatsApp application depresses the resolution of the image before
transmitting them to other users. In the present study, most pathologists did not find
any difficulty in the interpretation of the photomicrographs, however, in 12 (8.27%)
cases of second opinion (out of 145 non-reply), pathologists mentioned about the clarity
of the photomicrographs. We recommend that, WhatsApp should come up with the
option where in the sender has the liberty of selecting the image quality so that original
size and quality image can be shared with the receiver, which can facilitate more
accurate SOD.
Acknowledgement: We would like to thank all the oral pathologists who have actively
and wholeheartedly participated in the present study.
References:
1. Allison P, Locker D, Feine JS. The role of diagnostic delays in the prognosis of oral
cancer: a review of the literature. Oral Oncol 1998; 34; 161-70.
2. Sarode SC, Sarode GS, Karmarkar S. Early detection of oral cancer: detector lies
within. Oral Oncol 2012; 48; 193-194.
3. Sarode GS, Sarode SC, Patil S. Messenger Services on Smartphone: Changing Trends of
Communication in Dental Practice. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016; 17: 267-269.
4. About WhatsApp (2016) WhatsApp. http://www.whatsapp.com/ about/. Accessed
22 March 2016
5. WhatsApp FAQ (2016) WhatsApp.
http://www.whatsapp.com/faq/general/21073373. Accessed 22 March 2016
6. Giordano V, Koch HA, Mendes CH, Bergamin A, de Souza FS, do Amaral NP. WhatsApp
messenger is useful and reproducible in the assessment of tibial plateau fractures:
Figure captions:
Figure 1: Second opinion request sent on broadcast facility of WhatsApp.
Figure 2: Second opinion reply from pathologist of group B (pathologist 15). The time
taken for second opinion in this case was 22 minutes.
Table captions:
Table 1: Pathologies selected for second opinion and their second opinion responses.
Table 2: Second opinions received on different histological variants of ameloblastoma.
Table 3: Second opinion on histopathological grading of dysplasia and oral squamous cell
carcinoma.
Sr. Pathology Number Number Number of Correct Wrong Pathology mentioned Time taken
No. of cases of second second second second in wrong diagnosis for second
opinion opinion opinion opinion opinion
requested received (min)
Odontogenic tumors
1 Ameloblastoma 21 420 406 (96.66%) 402 (99.01%) 4 (0.98%) Details in table 2 124.12±63.56
Odontogenic cysts
8 Radicular cyst 17 340 340 (100%) 338 (99.41%) 2 (0.58%) Unicystic ameloblastoma 82.40±39.32
(2)
10 Micro-invasive squamous cell 5 100 89 (89%) 84 (94.38%) 5 (5.61%) Carcinoma in situ (4), 95.96±46.59
carcinoma Pseudo-epitheliomatous
hyperplasia (1)
11 Verrucous carcinoma 7 140 130 (92.85%) 128 (98.46%) 2 (1.53%) Verrucous hyperplasia (1), 100.56±55.9
Proliferative verrucous 1
leukoplakia (1)
12 Oral Squamous cell carcinoma 31 620 613 (98.87%) 613 (100%) 0 - 77.54±36.11
17 Pleomorphic adenoma 5 100 91 (91%) 89 (97.8%) 2 (2.91%) Adenocarcinoma NOS (2) 88.83±26.12
Fibro-osseous lesions
Other pathologies
31 Pyogenic granuloma 18 360 355 (98.61%) 353 (99.43%) 2 (0.56%) Hemangioma (1), fibroma 78.38±23.68
(1)
32 Squamous Papilloma 10 200 200 (100%) 195 (97.5%) 5 (2.5%) Verrucous hyperplasia (3), 79.59±23.86
verruciform xanthoma (2)
Sr. Pathology Total Total number of Total number of Correct Wrong Pathology mentioned
No. number of second opinion second opinion second second in wrong diagnosis
cases requested received opinion opinion
Sr. Category Number Number of Number of Correct Wrong Type of Wrong grade given
No. of cases second second grading grading
opinion opinion
requested received
1 Leukoplakia
Mild 7 140 138 (98.57%) 130 (94.20%) 8 (5.79%) No dysplasia (5), Moderate (3)
Moderate 6 120 119 (99.16%) 100 (84.03%) 19 (15.96%) No dysplasia (3), mild (12), severe (4)
Moderate 12 240 235 (97.91%) 222 (94.46%) 13 (5.53%) Well (11), poor (2)