Biasotti 2000.

Clinical features and settings	Inclusion period: 1985 to 1998. Patient population: 196 children with suspected neuroblastoma prior to chemotherapy and surgery were included. Consecutive series: not reported. Diagnostic work‐up: CT or MRI or both, ¹²³I‐MIBG or 99mTc‐MDP or both scans, one to four bone marrow aspirations and at least one bone marrow biopsy (limited to children ≥ 1 year of age), urinary catecholamines, serum ferritin, neuro specific enolase and lactate dehydrogenase. Time spans symptoms‐index test, symptoms‐reference standard and index test‐reference standard: n.r. Treatment between index test‐reference standard: n.r.
Participants	Included patients: 196 children with a neuroblastoma and ¹²³I‐MIBG scan at first diagnosis. Median age at diagnosis: 31 months (range 8 to 65 months). Sex distribution: not reported. INSS stage: 38 stage 1 or 2, 50 stage 3, 95 stage 4 and 13 stage 4S.
Study design	Case series with pathologically proven neuroblastoma (histopathology not known at the time of MIBG‐scintigraphy).
Target condition and reference standard(s)	Target condition: newly diagnosed neuroblastoma. Reference standard: histopathology according to Joshi nomenclature.
Index and comparator tests	Assessed primary objective 1.1: to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ¹²³I‐MIBG (SPECT‐CT) scintigraphy for detecting a neuroblastoma and its metastases at first diagnosis or at recurrence in children from 0 to 18 years old. Index test: ¹²³I‐MIBG scintigraphy. Radiofarmacon: ¹²³I‐MIBG. Dose: n.r. Collimator: n.r. Matrix: n.r. Acquisition protocol: n.r. Acquisition time: n.r. Acquisition duration: n.r. Interfering medication: n.r. Thyroid prophylaxis: n.r. Positive test result: pathologic ¹²³I‐MIBG uptake. Number and expertise of observers: n.r. Interobserver concordance: n.r.
Follow‐up	Median follow‐up: n.r; for some patients: up to five years.
Notes
Table of Methodological Quality
Item	Authors' judgement	Description
Representative spectrum? All tests	Yes	Patients with a neuroblastoma at first diagnosis, age 8 to 65 months and stage distribution were reported.
Acceptable reference standard? All tests	Yes	Histopathology according to the Joshi nomenclature.
Acceptable delay between tests? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Partial verification avoided? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Differential verification avoided? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Incorporation avoided? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Reference standard results blinded? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Index test results blinded? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Relevant clinical information? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Uninterpretable results reported? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Withdrawals explained? All tests	Unclear	n.r.
Selection criteria clearly described? All tests	No	n.r.
Sufficient detail for replication index test? All tests	No	Performance and equipment of ¹²³I‐MIBG scintigraphy: n.r. Radiofarmacon, dose, collimator, matrix, acquisition protocol, acquisition time and acquisition duration were n.r.
Sufficient detail for replication reference test? All tests	No	n.r.
Clear definition of positive result index test? All tests	Yes	Pathologic isotope accumulation of ¹²³I‐MIBG.
Interobserver variation reported and acceptable? All tests	Unclear	n.r.