Table 1.
Characteristics of the eight included US studies
| Study (year, reference) |
County | No. of patients |
Transducer frequency (MHz) |
Interpreter(s) | Reference standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim 1997 [21] | South Korea |
95 | 3.5 or 5 | Two radiologists independently | Surgical and pathological findings |
| Stell 1996 [22] | United Kingdom |
103 | 3.5 | Experienced personnel | Histological examination |
| Asencio 1997 [23] | Germany | 71 | NCD | NCD | Surgical and histologic evaluation |
| Possik 1986 [24] | United States |
82 | NCD | NCD | Surgical and histologic evaluation |
| Derchi 1983 [25] | United States |
21 | 3.5 | Two authors of the study | Surgical and pathological examization. |
| Liao 2004 [26] | China | 125 | 3.5 or 6.0 | NCD | Operative and pathological examination |
| Ozmen 2003 [27] | United States |
48 | NCD | NCD | Histological examination |
| Kayaalp 2002 [28] | United Kingdom |
118 | NCD | A consultant radiologist | Histopathological examinations |
NCD: not clearly described