Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies
| Author | Year | Country | Examination | Study design | Age (years) | Time (month) | Golden standard | Sample size | TP | FP | FN | TN | Sensitivity, % | Specificity, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gong | 1991 | China | MRI | Prospective | 14‐62 | — | Follow‐up | 66 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 100.0 | 87.5 |
| Kostakoglu1 | 1997 | Turkey | MRI | Prospective | 15‐76 | 3 | Biopsy | 17 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 100.0 | 64.3 |
| Kostakoglu2 | 1997 | Turkey | MRI | Prospective | 15‐76 | 6 | Biopsy | 18 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 100.0 | 15.4 |
| Chong1 | 1997 | Singapore | MRI | Prospective | 28‐67 | >5.1 | Biopsy | 45 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 55.6 | 83.3 |
| Chong2 | 1997 | Singapore | MRI | Prospective | 28‐67 | >5.1 | Biopsy | 45 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 28 | 55.6 | 77.8 |
| Peng | 2000 | China | PET | Retrospective | 33‐62 | ≥6 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 32 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 91.7 | 100.0 |
| Jiang | 2000 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 19‐62 | ≥4 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 77 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 36 | 61.8 | 83.7 |
| Chen | 2002 | China | PET | Retrospective | 31‐65 | ≥2 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 25 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 87.5 | 55.6 |
| Tsai | 2002 | China | PET | Prospective | 19‐75 | ≥4 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 100.0 | 93.3 |
| Kao | 2002 | China | PET | Prospective | 18.8‐67 | ≥4 | Biopsy | 36 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 100.0 | 96.0 |
| Wu1 | 2003 | China | PET | Retrospective | 23‐75 | ≥10 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 32 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 95.8 | 87.5 |
| Wu2 | 2003 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 23‐75 | ≥10 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 32 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 83.3 | 87.5 |
| Yen1 | 2003 | China | PET | Prospective | 16‐75 | ≥4 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 67 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 100.0 | 93.5 |
| Yen2 | 2003 | China | PET | Prospective | 16‐75 | ≥4 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 67 | 13 | 26 | 8 | 20 | 61.9 | 43.5 |
| Tsai | 2003 | China | PET | Prospective | — | ≥4 | Biopsy | 20 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 100.0 | 92.3 |
| Weng | 2003 | China | PET | Prospective | 36‐60 | ≥4 | Biopsy or follow‐up | 26 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 92.3 | 100.0 |
| Tai | 2003 | China | MRI | Prospective | 19‐75 | ≥4 | Follow‐up | 26 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 92.3 | 92.3 |
| Shiau | 2003 | China | PET | Prospective | 22‐75 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 30 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 86.7 | 93.3 |
| Ng | 2004 | China | PET | Prospective | 4‐90 | ≥4 | Follow‐up | 37 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 89.5 | 55.6 |
| Yu | 2004 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 26‐71 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 38 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 100.0 | 92.3 |
| Luo | 2005 | China | PET | Retrospective | 26‐72 | ≥2 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 75 | 38 | 5 | 2 | 30 | 95.0 | 85.7 |
| Lin | 2005 | China | PET | Retrospective | 45 | ≥2 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 28 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 88.9 | 80.0 |
| Yen | 2005 | China | PET | Retrospective | 16‐75 | ≥4 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 64 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 91.7 | 89.3 |
| Wu | 2005 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | — | ≥2.5 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 36 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 84.6 | 91.3 |
| Chan1 | 2006 | China | PET | Prospective | 30‐83 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 34 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 95.5 | 83.3 |
| Chan2 | 2006 | China | PET | Prospective | 30‐83 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 112 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 102 | 75.0 | 94.4 |
| Chan3 | 2006 | China | MRI | Prospective | 30‐83 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 34 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 95.5 | 75.0 |
| Chan4 | 2006 | China | MRI | Prospective | 30‐83 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 112 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 97 | 75.0 | 89.8 |
| Wu | 2006 | China | MRI | Prospective | 27‐69 | — | Biopsy and follow‐up | 78 | 35 | 13 | 3 | 27 | 92.1 | 67.5 |
| Xiao | 2007 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 27‐59 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 20 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 93.3 | 80.0 |
| Shen | 2007 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 35‐79 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 85.7 | 87.5 |
| Pang | 2007 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 27 | ≥3 | Biopsy | 27 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 94.7 | 75.0 |
| Li | 2007 | China | PET | Retrospective | 46 | ≥3 | Biopsy | 41 | 22 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 78.6 | 53.6 |
| Xue | 2007 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 24‐73 | ≥3 | Biopsy | 63 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 30 | 75.0 | 76.9 |
| Comoretto | 2008 | Italy | PET/CT | Retrospective | 17‐19 | ≥2 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 63 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 96.4 | 88.6 |
| Yen | 2009 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 35‐68 | ≥4 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 27 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 66.7 | 100.0 |
| Al Amro | 2009 | Saudi Arabia | PET | Retrospective | 13‐80 | ≥2 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 55 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 100.0 | 95.5 |
| Zhang1 | 2010 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 31‐62 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 21 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 92.3 | 100.0 |
| Zhang2 | 2010 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 31‐62 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 100.0 | 87.5 |
| He | 2010 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 3‐36 | ≥8 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 20 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 100.0 | 91.7 |
| Ng | 2010 | China | MRI | Prospective | 19‐84 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 179 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 173 | 86.2 | 96.1 |
| Ng | 2010 | China | PET/CT | Prospective | 19‐84 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 179 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 144 | 86.2 | 96.0 |
| Huang | 2012 | China | PET/CT | Prospective | 19‐77 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 70 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 57 | 91.7 | 98.3 |
| Ma1 | 2013 | China | PET/CT | Prospective | — | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 48 | 30 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 88.2 | 35.7 |
| Ma2 | 2013 | China | MRI | Prospective | — | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 48 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 94.1 | 42.9 |
| Ma3 | 2013 | China | PET/CT | Prospective | 19‐83 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 89 | 67 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 93.1 | 76.5 |
| Ma4 | 2013 | China | MRI | Prospective | 19‐83 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 89 | 60 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 83.3 | 82.4 |
| Lin1 | 2013 | China | MRI | Prospective | 9‐76 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 108 | 10 | 44 | 3 | 51 | 76.9 | 53.7 |
| Lin2 | 2013 | China | MRI | Prospective | 9‐76 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 108 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 80 | 23.1 | 84.2 |
| Lin3 | 2013 | China | MRI | Prospective | 9‐76 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 108 | 2 | 47 | 11 | 48 | 15.4 | 50.5 |
| Zhou1 | 2014 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 23‐75 | ≥12 | Follow‐up | 37 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Zhou2 | 2014 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 23‐75 | ≥12 | Follow‐up | 37 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 87.5 | 91.3 |
| Lu1 | 2014 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 22‐79 | ≥6 | Follow‐up | 57 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 97.7 | 71.4 |
| Lu2 | 2014 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 22‐79 | ≥6 | Follow‐up | 57 | 35 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 81.4 | 57.1 |
| Tian | 2014 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 17‐75 | ≥6 | Follow‐up | 89 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 100.0 | 83.3 |
| Wang | 2014 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 21‐82 | ≥3 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 90 | 28 | 13 | 11 | 38 | 71.8 | 74.5 |
| Liang1 | 2015 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 18‐80 | ≥1 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 55 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 84.6 | 100.0 |
| Liang2 | 2015 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | 18‐80 | ≥1 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 31 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 68.4 | 83.3 |
| Li | 2015 | China | PET/CT | Retrospective | — | ≥6 | Biopsy | 54 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 100.0 | 97.7 |
| Hei1 | 2016 | China | CT | Retrospective | 18‐72 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 63 | 21 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 70.0 | 66.7 |
| Hei2 | 2016 | China | MRI | Retrospective | 18‐72 | ≥6 | Biopsy and follow‐up | 63 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 83.3 | 81.8 |