# A generative adversarial approach to facilitate archival-quality histopathologic diagnoses from frozen tissue sections

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.10550 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.10550/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 13 of its 54 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 24 Aug 2021.

## Builds on (most cited first, 13 of 13)

- [Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.03385/) (2015)
- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04597/) (2015)
- [The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Deep Features as a Perceptual Metric](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.03924/) (2018)
- [Perceptual Losses for Real-Time Style Transfer and Super-Resolution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1603.08155/) (2016)
- [Semantic Image Synthesis with Spatially-Adaptive Normalization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.07291/) (2019)
- [High-Resolution Image Synthesis and Semantic Manipulation with Conditional GANs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.11585/) (2017)
- [Deep Image Prior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.10925/) (2017)
- [Event-based Vision meets Deep Learning on Steering Prediction for Self-driving Cars](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.01310/) (2018)
- [Deep learning-based virtual histology staining using auto-fluorescence of label-free tissue](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.11293/) (2018)
- [StainGAN: Stain Style Transfer for Digital Histological Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.01601/) (2018)
- [PhaseStain: Digital staining of label-free quantitative phase microscopy images using deep learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1807.07701/) (2018)
- [A deep learning framework for morphologic detail beyond the diffraction limit in infrared spectroscopic imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.04410/) (2019)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Unpaired Multi-Domain Histopathology Virtual Staining using Dual Path Prompted Inversion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.11106/) (2024)
- [Leveraging Pre-trained Models for FF-to-FFPE Histopathological Image Translation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.18054/) (2024)
- [CREATE-FFPE: Cross-Resolution Compensated and Multi-Frequency Enhanced FS-to-FFPE Stain Transfer for Intraoperative IHC Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.00697/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In clinical diagnostics and research involving histopathology, formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue is almost universally favored for its superb image quality. However, tissue processing time (more than 24 hours) can slow decision-making. In contrast, fresh frozen (FF) processing (less than 1 hour) can yield rapid information but diagnostic accuracy is suboptimal due to lack of clearing, morphologic deformation and more frequent artifacts. Here, we bridge this gap using artificial intelligence. We synthesize FFPE-like images ,virtual FFPE, from FF images using a generative adversarial network (GAN) from 98 paired kidney samples derived from 40 patients. Five board-certified pathologists evaluated the results in a blinded test. Image quality of the virtual FFPE data was assessed to be high and showed a close resemblance to real FFPE images. Clinical assessments of disease on the virtual FFPE images showed a higher inter-observer agreement compared to FF images. The nearly instantaneously generated virtual FFPE images can not only reduce time to information but can facilitate more precise diagnosis from routine FF images without extraneous costs and effort.