Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30806803›Full record

SynthesisEuropean radiology2019

Diagnostic performance of CT in detection of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Se Jin Cho, Chong Hyun Suh, Jung Hwan Baek, Sae Rom Chung, Young Jun Choi, Jeong Hyun Lee

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European radiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
6.1field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

41 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. A prospective, exploratory study ofEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Se Jin ChoDepartment of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 86 Asanbyeongwon-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
Chong Hyun SuhDepartment of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 86 Asanbyeongwon-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
Jung Hwan BaekDepartment of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 86 Asanbyeongwon-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea. radbaek@naver.com.
Sae Rom ChungDepartment of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 86 Asanbyeongwon-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
Young Jun ChoiDepartment of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 86 Asanbyeongwon-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
Jeong Hyun LeeDepartment of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 86 Asanbyeongwon-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
Ulsan College · KRUniversity of Ulsan · KRAsan Medical Center · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAlthough ultrasound (US) is a standard modality for the assessment of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with thyroid cancer, there is an increasing trend in the number of articles describing the use of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CT in the diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes and to identify the parameters responsible for heterogeneity in diagnostic performance.

methodsOvid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up to May 22, 2018, for studies on the diagnostic performance of CT. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of all studies were calculated. In addition, subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to evaluate factors responsible for heterogeneity.

resultsSeventeen (6378 patients, 11,590 lymph nodes) studies were included. The pooled sensitivity was 55% (95% CI, 47-63%), and the pooled specificity was 87% (95% CI, 90-95%). Higgins I

conclusionsCT demonstrated acceptable diagnostic performance in the pre- and postoperative diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer. Variation in the CT protocols was a main factor causing heterogeneity among the included studies. KEY POINTS: • The role of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) needs to be reassessed. • CT demonstrated acceptable diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer in the meta-analysis. • Variation in the CT protocols was a main factor causing heterogeneity in the meta-regression analysis.

Indexed as

FemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisLymph NodesNeckSensitivity and SpecificityThyroid NeoplasmsTomography, X-Ray ComputedLymph nodesMeta-analysisMultislice computed tomographyPapillary thyroid cancerThyroid cancer

Identifiers

PMID30806803
OpenAlexW2916008156

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.