SynthesisClinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico2025
Diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities for detection of spinal metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trends and postoperative complications of spinal metastasis surgery in Thailand between 2015 and 2024: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Purely osteolytic bone lesions in the early osteoarticular phase of synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis syndrome.BMJ case reports · 2026Article
- Clinical applications of MRI-based artificial intelligence in spinal metastases: A systematic review.Journal of bone oncology · 2026Review
- Regression of a ventral epidural mass after posterior stabilization for cervical spinal metastasis: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2026Article
- Diagnostic accuracy of dual-layer spectral CT for osteolytic vertebral metastases.Skeletal radiology · 2026Article
- Diagnostic errors in spinal metastases: a systematic review of contributing clinical and systemic factors.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Review
- Emerging Role of ctDNA Fragmentomics and Epigenetic Signatures in the Early Detection, Minimal Residual Disease Assessment, and Precision Monitoring of Renal Cell Carcinoma.Journal of cellular and molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma with intrathecal metastasis: a case report.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
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Abstract
purposeDetecting spinal metastases is highly relevant in patients with oncological disorders as it can affect the staging and treatment of their disease. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), FDG positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, bone scintigraphy (BS), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for spinal metastases detection.
methodsMedline, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched until March 2024 for diagnostic accuracy studies on spinal metastases detection (PROSPERO-registration: CRD42024540139). Data extraction and quality assessment using the QUADAS-2 tool were performed by two independent reviewers. Using bivariate random effects modeling, pooled sensitivities, specificities, and diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) were calculated, and hierarchical summary operating curves were constructed.
resultsTwenty-five studies (49 datasets), encompassing 3102 patients were included. Per-patient pooled sensitivities of CT, MRI, PET/CT, BS and SPECT were 70%, 93%, 82%, 75%, and 84%, respectively. Pooled specificities were 74%, 85%, 75%, 92%, and 81%, respectively. Per-lesion pooled sensitivities of CT, MRI, PET/CT, BS and SPECT were 76%, 91%, 92%, 77%, and 92%, respectively. Pooled specificities were 91%, 94%, 85%, 52%, and 86%, respectively. MRI had the highest DOR in per patient and lesion analyses.
conclusionMRI had highest diagnostic accuracy for spinal metastases detection on patient and lesion level, suggesting a broader use in addition to the routine staging CT, at least in patients at high risk and where the detection of a spinal metastasis could alter therapy decisions. Herein, results should be considered with the limitations of each modality.
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