SynthesisPloS one2022
Diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced CT for neck abscesses: A systematic review and meta-analysis of positive predictive value.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- ESR Essentials: acute infections of the head and neck-practice recommendations by the European Society of Head and Neck Radiology.European radiology · 2026Guideline
- Segmentation-based morphometric analysis of neck abscesses on MRI: associations with disease severity.European radiology · 2026Article
- Laboratory Markers Associated with Deep Neck Infection in Emergency Department Patients with Throat or Neck Symptoms.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- CT-based abscess diameter as a predictor of true abscess in pediatric deep neck infections: a dual-threshold approach.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Feasibility of electron density map derived from unenhanced dual-energy CT for detecting peritonsillar abscess.Neuroradiology · 2026Article
- Prognostic Factors for Adverse Outcomes in Odontogenic Infections Requiring Hospitalization: A Single-Center Retrospective Study in Kraków, Poland.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Prognostic factors in the management of paediatric patients with retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal infections.The Journal of laryngology and otology · 2026Article
- Acute deep neck infection MRI: deep learning segmentation and clinical relevance of retropharyngeal edema volume.European radiology experimental · 2026Article
- A case of peritonsillar abscess: a diagnostic challenge aided by point-of-care ultrasound.Fukushima journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Non-Typhoidal Salmonella as an Unusual Cause of Deep Neck Abscess.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2026Article
- Clinical and Radiological Evaluation of Abscesses Detected on Computed Tomography in Neck Infections.Journal of clinical practice and research · 2025Article
- Accurate Diagnosis of Peritonsillar Abscesses Using Relative CT Number Measurements in Low-Density Areas of Contrast CT Images.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- MRI-based risk factors for intensive care unit admissions in acute neck infections.European journal of radiology open · 2025Article
- Admittance to the intensive care unit due to acute odontogenic cervicofacial infections; a single centre retrospective cohort study.Oral and maxillofacial surgery · 2025Article
- Clinical characteristics and etiological profile of retropharyngeal space abnormalities in children: a nine-year retrospective analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2025Article
- Diagnostic performance of short noncontrast biparametric 3-T MRI for tonsillar infections: comparison with a full protocol including contrast-enhanced sequences.European radiology experimental · 2023Article
- Pictorial Review of MRI Findings in Acute Neck Infections in Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo review the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in differentiating abscesses from cellulitis in patients with neck infections, using surgical findings as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND
methodsPrevious studies in the last 32 years were searched from PubMed and Embase. Because of partial verification bias (only positive abscess findings are usually verified surgically), sensitivity and specificity estimates are unreliable, and we focused on positive predictive value (PPV). For all studies, PPV was calculated as the proportion of true positives out of all positives on imaging. To estimate pooled PPV, we used both the median with an interquartile range and a model-based estimate. For narrative purposes, we reviewed the utility of common morphological CT criteria for abscesses, such as central hypodensity, the size of the collection, bulging, rim enhancement, and presence of air, as well as sensitivity and specificity values reported by the original reports.
results23 studies were found reporting 1453 patients, 14 studies in children (771 patients), two in adults (137 patients), and seven including all ages (545 patients). PPV ranged from 0.67 to 0.97 in individual studies, had a median of 0.84 (0.79-0.87), and a model-based pooled estimate of 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.80-0.85). Most morphological CT criteria had considerable overlap between abscesses and cellulitis.
conclusionsThe pooled estimate of PPV is 0.83 for diagnosing neck abscesses with CT. False positives may be due to limited soft tissue contrast resolution. Overall, none of the morphological criteria seem to be highly accurate for differentiation between abscess and cellulitis.
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