title: Diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-MIBI scan in predicting the malignancy of thyroid nodules: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Several studies have investigated the diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-MIBI scan in the evaluation of thyroid nodules suspicious for malignancy with conflicting results. The aim of our study is to meta-analyze published data on this topic. A comprehensive literature search of studies published through December 2012 regarding the diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-MIBI scan in the evaluation of thyroid nodules suspicious for malignancy was carried out. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of (99m)Tc-MIBI scan on a per lesion-based analysis and the area under the ROC curve were calculated. Pathological reports of thyroid nodules were considered as reference standard. Twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of (99m)Tc-MIBI scan in detecting malignant thyroid nodules were 85.1 % [95 % confidence interval (95 % CI): 81.1-88.5 %] and 45.7 % (95 % CI: 42.7-48.7 %), respectively, on a per lesion-based analysis, irrespective of eventual results of previous technetium pertechnetate ((99m)TcO4) or iodine-123 ((123)I) scan. The area under the ROC curve was 0.78. A sub-analysis restricted to data on hypofunctioning nodules on (99m)TcO4 or (123)I scans was performed: pooled sensitivity and specificity of (99m)Tc-MIBI scan in these nodules were 82.1 % (95 % CI: 77.2-86.3 %) and 62.8 % (95 % CI: 58.9-66.7 %), respectively, on a per lesion-based analysis. The area under the ROC curve was 0.81. (99m)Tc-MIBI scan is a sensitive diagnostic tool in predicting the malignancy of thyroid nodules. Therefore, this imaging method could be helpful in patients with thyroid nodules in which malignancy is suspected on the basis of conventional diagnostic techniques. Higher specificity can be reached when hypofunctioning thyroid nodules are considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, via Ospedale 12, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland. giorgiomednuc@libero.it
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caldarella
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saggiorato
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ceriani
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvatori
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giovanella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003940:Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi