Comparison of Low- and standard dose CT for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis: A meta-analysis

Seong Jong Yun, Chang Woo Ryu, Na Young Choi, Hyun Cheol Kim, Ji Young Oh, Dal Mo Yang

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55 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. A meta-analysis was performed to compare low-dose CT and standarddose CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis with an emphasis on diagnostic value. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A systematic literature search for articles published through June 2016 was performed to identify studies that compared low-dose CT with standard-dose CT for the evaluation of patients suspected of having acute appendicitis. Summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity with 95% CIs were calculated using a bivariate random-effects model. Meta-regression was used to perform statistical comparisons of low-dose CT and standard-dose CT. RESULTS. Of 154 studies, nine studies investigating a total of 2957 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of low-dose CT were 96.25% (95% CI, 91.88-98.31%) and 93.22% (95% CI, 88.75-96.0 0%), respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of standard-dose CT were 96.40% (95% CI, 93.55-98.02%) and 92.17% (95% CI, 88.24-94.86%), respectively. In a joint model estimation of meta-regression, low-and standard-dose CT did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.71). Both low-and standard-dose CT seem to be characterized by high positive and negative predictive values across a broad spectrum of pretest probabilities for acute appendicitis. CONCLUSION. Low-dose CT is highly effective for the diagnosis of suspected appendicitis and can be considered a valid alternative first-line imaging test that reduces the potential risk of exposure to ionizing radiation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)W198-W207
JournalAmerican Journal of Roentgenology
Volume208
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© American Roentgen Ray Society.

Keywords

  • Appendicitis
  • Low-dose CT
  • Meta-analysis
  • Sensitivity
  • Specificity

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