Diagnostic Accuracy of Transvaginal Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Detection of Myometrial Infiltration in Endometrial Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In endometrial cancer (EC), deep myometrial invasion (DMI) is a prognostic factor that can be evaluated by various imaging methods; however, the best method of choice is uncertain. We aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of two-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the preoperative detection of DMI in patients with EC. Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library were systematically searched in May 2023. We included original articles that compared TVS to MRI on the same cohort of patients, with final histopathological confirmation of DMI as reference standard. Several subgroup analyses were performed. Eighteen studies comprising 1548 patients were included. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 76.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 70.9–81.4%) and 87.4% (95% CI, 80.6–92%) for TVS. The corresponding values for MRI were 81.1% (95% CI, 74.9–85.9%) and 83.8% (95% CI, 79.2–87.5%). No significant difference was observed (sensitivity: p = 0.116, specificity: p = 0.707). A non-significant difference between TVS and MRI was observed when no-myometrium infiltration vs. myometrium infiltration was considered. However, when only low-grade EC patients were evaluated, the specificity of MRI was significantly better (p = 0.044). Both TVS and MRI demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity. Further studies are needed to assess the presence of myometrium infiltration in patients with fertility-sparing wishes.

Keywords

• endometrial neoplasm
• endometrium carcinoma
• ultrasonography
• ultrasonographic imaging
• MRI scan
• preoperative staging