Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32676309›Full record

ArticleTranslational lung cancer research2020

Comparison between closed pleural biopsy and medical thoracoscopy for the diagnosis of undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yuqing Wei, Kaikai Shen, Tangfeng Lv, Hongbing Liu, Zimu Wang, Juan Wu, He Zhang, Sara Colella, Fu-Zong Wu, Michael T Milano and 4 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational lung cancer research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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

19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Sensitivity and complications of thoracentesis and thoracoscopy: a meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2022
    Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Indwelling pleural catheters and medical thoracoscopy.Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2025
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
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

14 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Yuqing WeiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, China.
Kaikai ShenDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, China.
Tangfeng LvDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
Hongbing LiuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
Zimu WangDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
Juan WuDepartment of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002, China.
He ZhangDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, China.
Sara Colella"UOC Pneumologia," "C. e G. Mazzini" Hospital, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
Fu-Zong WuDepartment of Radiology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung.
Michael T MilanoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Ping ZhanDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
Yong SongDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
Zhiwei LuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, China.
written
Wannan Medical College · CNNanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command · CNNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung University · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExudative pleural effusion (EPE) is a common diagnostic challenge. The utility of medical thoracoscopy (MT) and closed pleural biopsy (CPB) to aid in the diagnosis of EPE has been reported in many published studies. Herein, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the diagnostic yield and safety of CPB and MT in EPE.

methodsFour databases were searched for studies reporting the diagnostic yield of CPB and MT for EPE. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) tool. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and complication risks were compared between the two groups.

resultsTen studies dealing with CPB and twenty-three studies dealing with MT for the diagnosis of EPE were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR of CPB group was 77%, 99%, 32.55, 0.22, 165.71, respectively, while pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR of MT group was 93%, 100%, 10.82, 0.08, 162.81, respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve of CPB and MT were both 0.97. The ability of CPB to diagnose non-malignant diseases was like MT (69%

conclusionsCBP is a relatively accurate tool with a lower complication rate compared to MT in the diagnosis of EPE, especially in diagnosing non-malignant diseases. We confirm the utility of MT in the diagnostic workup of malignancy (especially mesothelioma); however, in selected cases, CPB could be used as the first diagnostic approach with a favorable safety profile.

Indexed as

Closed pleural biopsy (CPB)diagnosisexudative pleural effusion (EPE)medical thoracoscopy (MT)meta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID32676309
PMCPMC7354159
OpenAlexW3022858795

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.