Table 2.

Meta-analysis of binary diagnostic test accuracy of US features.

	Eco score	Ecogenicity	Ecotexture	Margins	Shape	Microcalcifications	Vascularization	Suspicious lymph nodes
n of study	3	12	8	10	7	11	8	7
n of nodules	181	1163	893	1072	640	1118	988	888
Sensibility	91.9% (61–98.8%)	58% (46–70%)	76% (26–97%)	54% (36–72%)	30% (12–58%)	66% (55–76%)	52% (25–78%)	59% (48–69%)
Specificity	51.8% (18.6–83.4%)	66% (56–74%)	71% (42–89%)	89% (78–94%)	93% (77–98%)	86% (68–95%)	65% (38–85%)	98% (96–99%)
LR+	1.9 (0.9–3.8)	1.7 (1.3–2.2)	2.6 (1.6–4.4)	4.8 (2.9–7.9)	4.3 (1.7–10.7)	4.9 (2.1–11.4)	1.5 (0.8–2.6)	23.7 (12.8–43.9)
LR-	0.16 (0.04–0.5)	0.63 (0.49–0.82)	0.34 (0.08–1.40)	0.52 (0.36–0.74)	0.75 (0.56–1.01)	0.39 (0.31–0.49)	0.74 (0.47–1.18)	0.42 (0.33–0.55)
DOR	12.75 (4.57–35.59)	3 (2–4)	8 (2–32)	9 (5–17)	6 (2–16)	13 (6–29)	2 (1–5)	56 (26–119)
AUC	83% (52–92%)	66% (62–70%)	79% (75–82%)	82% (78–85%)	74% (70–78%)	78% (74–81%)	61% (57–66%)	98% (96–99%)
I2	94.1%	94%	99.00%	96.00%	93.00%	99%	98%	0%
P	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.26
Pub bias	P  = 0.712	P  = 0.096	P  = 0.242	P  = 0.282	P  = 0.605	P  = 0.356	P  = 0.606	P  = 0.137

LR+, the positive likelihood ratio; LR−, the negative likelihood ratio; DOR, diagnostic odds ratio; I², heterogeneity among the studies.