SynthesisJournal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology2025
Accuracy of Cytological Methods in Early Detection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Potentially Malignant Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Quantitative evidence-based thresholds for exfoliative cytology based early detection of dysplasia in oral potentially malignant disorders - a systematic review and meta-analysis.Evidence-based dentistry · 2026Pooled it
- Accuracy of Cytological Methods in Early Detection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Potentially Malignant Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2025Pooled it
- Current Trends in Diagnosis and Early Monitoring of Oral Cavity Cancer: Techniques and Biomarkers.Cancers · 2026Review
- Referral patterns to a Middle Eastern oral medicine service: a retrospective analysis.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Immunological Analysis of Oral Cytobrush Specimens for Early Detection of Oral Cancer Biomarkers: A Comprehensive Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) carries significant global mortality rates. Brush cytology presents a potential adjunctive tool for early detection and monitoring of OSCC and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). This study aims to systematically evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cytology for detecting OSCC and OPMDs compared to histopathology as the reference standard. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA-DTA guidelines. MATERIAL AND
methodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to January 2023 (updated in March 2025). Eligible studies included cohort studies evaluating cytology versus histopathological diagnosis. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using QUADAS-2. We used the Hierarchical Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic model for meta-analysis.
resultsOf 2603 identified studies, 53 met inclusion criteria, comprising 13,249 patients. Cytology demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.914 (95% CI: 0.878-0.941) and specificity of 0.960 (95% CI: 0.937-0.975). The diagnostic odds ratio was 137.502 (95% CI: 79.733-237.127), with a positive likelihood ratio of 11.970 (95% CI: 9.005-15.912) and negative likelihood ratio of 0.096 (95% CI: 0.059-0.158). Subgroup analysis showed improved performance when exfoliative cytology was combined with DNA analysis or when using a metal spatula. Both conventional and liquid-based cytology were effective, with the latter showing modest advantages. Heterogeneity was substantial across studies (I
conclusionCytology demonstrates good diagnostic accuracy for detecting OSCC and OPMDs and may serve as a valuable adjunctive screening tool. However, it does not replace histopathological examination as the diagnostic gold standard. Further research should focus on standardizing collection techniques and interpretation criteria. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023438610.
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