Advancing differential diagnosis: a comprehensive review of deep learning approaches for differentiating tuberculosis, pneumonia, and COVID-19

In the realm of medical diagnostics, particularly in differential diagnosis, where differentiating between illnesses or ailments with comparable symptoms is essential, deep learning has gained importance. Recent developments in deep learning have demonstrated considerable promise for revolutionizing medical diagnostics by using the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately interpret radiological images. We examine the most cutting-edge deep learning techniques currently being utilized for the differential diagnosis of tuberculosis, pneumonia, and COVID-19 in this in-depth review. The study presents an in-depth critical review of several SOTA (state-of-the-art) studies used for differential diagnosis of different respiratory abnormalities like TB, Pneumonia, and COVID-19. In addition, an overview of various approaches, datasets employed in each method, various diagnosis tests, used assessment measures, and obtained performance is summarized and comprehensively compared to assist future research. We suggest a pathway for future research and development of deep learning solutions for differential diagnosis by critically analyzing the current literature and outlining the limitations and potential in this sector.