Indirect comparison of the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Xianwen Hu, Dandan Li, Zhigang Liang, Yan Liao, Ling Yang, Rui Wang, Pan Wang, Jiong Cai
Abstract
Abstract Objective To compare the value of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors. Materials and methods English articles reporting on the diagnostic performance of MRI or 18 F-FDG PET/CT in identifying benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors published in PubMed and Embase between January 2000 and January 2021 were included in the meta-analysis. Two authors independently extracted the data. If the data presented in the study report could be used to construct a 2 × 2 contingency table comparing 18 F-FDG PET/CT and MRI, the studies were selected for the analysis. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Forest plots were generated according to the sensitivity and specificity of 18 F-FDG PET/CT and MRI. Results A total of 27 articles, including 11 18 F-FDG PET/CT studies and 17 MRI studies on the differentiation of benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors, were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for 18 F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors were 0.94 (95% CI, 0.87–0.97) and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.79–0.91), respectively, and the pooled sensitivity and specificity for MRI were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89–0.95) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.79–0.89), respectively. Conclusion While MRI and 18 F-FDG PET/CT both showed to have high and similar diagnostic performance in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors, MRI, a promising non-radiation imaging technology, may be a more suitable choice for patients with ovarian or accessory tumors. Nonetheless, prospective studies directly comparing MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT diagnostic performance in the differentiation of benign and malignant ovarian or adnexal tumors are needed.