Table 1. Basic characteristics of included studies.
| study | year | Design | Population | Index Test | Reference Test ND or FU(mean, range) | Outcome | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Age, median (range) or mean(SD), y | SLN tracer | SLN localization | Pathology (SLN) | SLN identification rate | No. of SLN, mean | TP | FP | FN | TN | ||||
| Ramamurthy | 2014 | Pros | 32 | 43(26–70) | B | B | H+I+S | ND | 29/32 | 1.56 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| Chung | 2015 | Pros | 61 | 49.3(10.3) | R | L+G | H+I+S | FU (70months, 49–111) | 61/61 | NR | 12 | 0 | 5 | 44 |
| Julio | 2007 | Pros | 14 | 65.9(13.7) | R+ICG | L+G | H+I | ND | 14/14 | 3.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Heuveling | 2014 | Pros | 66 | NR | R+B | L+G+B+SPECT | Unclear | ND | 66/66 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 53 |
| Terada | 2011 | Pros | 45 | 62(30–85) | R | L+G+SPECT | H | FU (46months, 9–72) | 45/45 | NR | 5 | 0 | 5 | 35 |
| Barzan | 2002 | Pros | 10 | 64(36–85) | R | G | Unclear | ND | 9/10 | NR | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Bluemel | 2014 | Pros | 23 | 58.7(13) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | ND | 23/23 | 3.1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Terada | 2008 | Pros | 43 | NR | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | Unclear | ND | 41/43 | NR | 5 | 0 | 1 | 35 |
| Chiesa | 2000 | Pros | 11 | NR | R | L+G | Unclear | ND | 10/11 | NR | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Dequanter | 2013 | Pros | 20 | 64(?) | R | L+G | H+I+S | FU (59months, ?-?) | 20/20 | NR | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Broglie | 2011 | Pros | 69 | 60(?) | R | L+G+SPECT+PET-CT | Unclear | FU (59.8months, 2.6–120.7) | 69/69 | NR | 23 | 0 | 2 | 44 |
| Vigili | 2007 | Pros | 12 | 57.4(?) | R | L+G | H+I | ND | 12/12 | 2.1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Aida | 2014 | Pros | 25 | 61.2(42–82) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | Unclear | FU (?months, 7–88) | 25/25 | NR | 8 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Joost | 2013 | Pros | 7 | 59.5(33–73) | ICG | NI | H | ND | 7/7 | 1.7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Bilde | 2008 | Pros | 51 | 58(29–90) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | ND | 51/51 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Chaturvedi | 2015 | Pros | 53 | 44(29–70) | R | L+G+SPECT | H | ND | 51/53 | 3.8 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 37 |
| Yen | 2006 | Pros | 25 | 47.8(30–66) | R | L+G | H+I+S | ND | 24/25 | 2.4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Minamikawa | 2005 | Retro | 18 | NR | B | B | Unclear | FU (NR) | 15/18 | NR | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Ram | 2015 | Retro | 42 | 61.3(40–83) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | FU (NR) | 42/42 | NR | 8 | 0 | 2 | 32 |
| Schilling | 2015 | Pros | 415 | 61(28–92) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (>36months) | 415/415 | 3.2 | 94 | 0 | 15 | 306 |
| Civantos | 2010 | Pros | 140 | 58(24–90) | R | L+G | H+I | ND | 140/140 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 4 | 99 |
| Rigual | 2013 | Retro | 38 | 62(14) | R | L+G | H | FU (31months, 3–71) | 38/38 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 31 |
| Tartaglione | 2016 | Pros | 434 | NR | R+B | L+G+B+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | ND | 434/434 | 3.2 | 105 | 0 | 14 | 315 |
| Harri | 2008 | Pros | 13 | 65(30–84) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (21months, 12–42) | 13/13 | 3.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Pezier | 2012 | Pros | 59 | 62.5(38–90) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I | FU (22.5months, 0.26–53) | 57/59 | 2.6 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 39 |
| Hart | 2005 | Pros | 12 | 62.75(35–83) | R | L+G | H+I+S | ND | 12/12 | NR | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Keyvan | 2016 | Pros | 10 | 52(21–82) | R | L+G | Unclear | ND | 10/10 | 2.4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Flach | 2014 | Pros | 62 | 61.2(28.8–82.6) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (52.5months, 5.3–76.7) | 62/62 | NR | 20 | 0 | 5 | 37 |
| Vishno | 2015 | Pros | 65 | 47(20–77) | B | B | H+I | ND | 60/65 | 2.02 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 52 |
| Hasegawa | 2011 | Pros | 61 | NR | R | G | Unclear | FU (NR) | 60/61 | NR | 10 | 0 | 3 | 47 |
| Burns | 2009 | Pros | 9 | 59.2(38–80) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I | FU (?months, 9–24) | 9/9 | 1.3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Kontio | 2004 | Pros | 15 | 63.8(35–81) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I | ND | 15/15 | 2.8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Frerich | 2007 | Pros | 26 | NR | R | G | H+I+S | FU (27.5months, 7.2–49.5) | 26/26 | 2.1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| Hiraki | 2016 | Retro | 47 | 65.4(12.6) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+S | FU (38.5months, 12.4–64.6) | 47/47 | 2.1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 36 |
| Honda | 2015 | Pros | 31 | 64(33–91) | B | B+CT(Iopamidol) | Unclear | FU (>30months) | 28/31 | NR | 4 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| Fan | 2014 | Retro | 30 | 48(27–75) | R+B | L+G+B | H | FU (>120months) | 30/30 | NR | 9 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| Rigual | 2005 | Pros | 20 | NR | R+B | L+G+B | H | ND | 20/20 | NR | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Stoeckli | 2001 | Pros | 15 | 56(36–81) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | ND | 15/15 | NR | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Terada | 2006 | Pros | 20 | NR | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H | FU(NR) | 20/20 | 3.3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Jeong | 2006 | Pros | 20 | 53(35–68) | R | L+G | H+I+S | ND | 20/20 | 2.55 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Thomsen | 2007 | Pros | 39 | ?(32–90) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (28months, 4–54) | 37/39 | NR | 11 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Hoft | 2004 | Pros | 20 | NR | R | L+G | H+I+S | ND | 20/20 | 3.2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Samant | 2014 | Pros | 34 | 61(24–82) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I | FU(36months, 2–60) | 32/34 | NR | 6 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| Toom | 2015 | Retro | 90 | 60(29–86) | R+B | L+G+B+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | FU(18months, 2–62) | 87/90 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 59 |
| Yoshimoto | 2012 | Retro | 145 | 63(21–92) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I | FU (NR) | 145/145 | 2.9 | 24 | 0 | 7 | 114 |
| Stoeckli | 2007 | Pros | 79 | 58.5(34–87) | R | L+G | H+I+S | FU (19months, 3–40) | 78/79 | NR | 29 | 0 | 2 | 47 |
| Melkane | 2012 | Pros | 174 | 56(28–86) | R | L+G | H+I+S | FU (>36months) | 166/174 | 2 | 42 | 0 | 6 | 118 |
| Civantos | 2003 | Pros | 14 | 62(34–79) | R | L+G+PET maping | H+I | ND | 14/14 | NR | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Alvarez | 2014 | Pros | 28 | 61.2(41–87) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (>60months) | 28/28 | NR | 7 | 0 | 4 | 17 |
| Peng | 2015 | Pros | 19 | 60.5(43–77) | B+ICG | B+NI | H | ND | 19/19 | 3.4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Hernando | 2016 | Pros | 32 | 66.4(40–90) | R | L+G | H+I+S | FU (48.2months, 7–70) | 32/32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 26 |
| Ikram | 2013 | Pros | 42 | 52(31–75) | R | L+G | H+I+S | ND | 38/42 | NR | 7 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Taylor | 2001 | Pros | 8 | 61.9(22–80) | R | L+G | Unclear | ND | 8/8 | NR | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Yamauchi | 2012 | Pros | 11 | 62.3(36–84) | R | L+G | H+S | FU (37.1months, 20.1–54.1) | 11/11 | NR | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Thomsen | 2005 | Pros | 40 | ?(32–90) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (15.8months, 4.3–40.4) | 40/40 | NR | 11 | 0 | 3 | 26 |
| Pedersen | 2016 | Retro | 253 | 63(30–95) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | FU (32months, 1–92) | 253/253 | 3 | 68 | 0 | 9 | 176 |
| Kaya | 2015 | Pros | 18 | 54.5(28–76) | R | L+G | H+I | ND | 18/18 | NR | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Tartaglione | 2008 | Pros | 22 | 62.6(28–80) | R | L+G | H+I | FU (23.2months, 10–35) | 22/22 | 2.2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Hernandez | 2005 | Pros | 48 | 57(28–83) | R+B | L+G+B | H+S | ND | 48/48 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 35 |
| Bilde | 2006 | Pros | 34 | 58(47–70) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I+S | ND | 32/34 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Bell | 2013 | Pros | 36 | 60.5(20–87) | R | L+G | H+I+S | ND | 35/36 | 1.9 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| Matsuzuka | 2014 | Retro | 29 | 66(31–82) | R | L+G | H | FU (91months, 10–165) | 29/29 | 3.1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
| Heuveling | 2012 | Retro | 60 | 60(29–81) | R+B | L+G+B | H+I+S | FU (19months, 5–51) | 60/60 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 38 |
| Agrawal | 2015 | Pros | 66 | 60.8(12.8) | R | L+G+SPECT/CT | H+I | ND | 65/66 | 3.9 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 34 |
| Nakamura | 2015 | Pros | 15 | 63.1(44–84) | R+ICG | L+G+NI | Unclear | FU (38.5months, 10.7–69.9) | 15/15 | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Mozzillo | 2001 | Pros | 41 | NR | R+B | L+G+B | Unclear | ND | 39/41 | NR | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
Abbreviations: Pros, Prospective; Retro, Retrospective; NR, Not reported; R, Radionucleotide; B, Blue dye; ICG, Indocyanine green; NI, near-infrared fluorescence camera; H, Hematoxylin and eosin; I, Immunohistochemistry; S, Serial sectioning; ND, Neck dissection; FU, Follow-up; SLN, Sentinel lymph node; TP, Ture positive; FP, False positive; FN, False Negative; TN, Ture negative.