Three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound vs magnetic resonance imaging for preoperative staging of deep myometrial and cervical invasion in patients with endometrial cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives To evaluate and compare the diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) of three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for deep myometrial infiltration (DMI) and cervical invasion for preoperative staging and surgery planning in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the DTA of MRI and 3D-TVS for DMI and cervical invasion in patients with EC. A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, The Cochrane library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EU Clinical Trials Register and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to identify relevant studies published between January 2000 and December 2021. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Results Five studies, including a total of 450 patients, were included in the systematic review. All five studies compared the DTA of 3D-TVS vs MRI for DMI, and three studies compared the DTA of 3D-TVS vs MRI for cervical invasion. Pooled sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio for detecting DMI using 3D-TVS were 77% (95% CI, 66- 85%), 4.57 and 0.31, respectively. The respective values for detecting DMI on MRI were 80% (95% CI, 73- 86%), 4.22 and 0.24. Bivariate metaregression indicated a similar DTA of 3D-TVS and MRI ( P= 0.80) for the correct identification of DMI. Pooled ln diagnostic odds ratio for detecting cervical invasion was 3.11 (95% CI, 2.09- 4.14) for 3D-TVS and 2.36 (95% CI, 0.90- 3.83) for MRI. The risk of bias was low for most of the four domains assessed in QUADAS-2. Conclusion 3D-TVS demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy in terms of sensitivity and specificity for the evaluation of DMI and cervical invasion, with results comparable with those of MRI. Thus, we confirmed the potential role of 3D-TVS in the preoperative staging and surgery planning in patients with EC. (c) 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Automated summary

This study evaluated and compared the diagnostic test accuracy of three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for deep myometrial infiltration (DMI) and cervical invasion in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). The results showed that 3D-TVS demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for the evaluation of DMI and cervical invasion, with comparable results to MRI.