Pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic OR, LR+, LR−
| Studies, n | Sensitivity (95% CI) | Specificity (95% CI) | Diagnostic OR (95% CI) | LR+ (95% CI) | LR− (95% CI) | |
| Diagnostic accuracy of CT or US on neck level | ||||||
| All neck level | ||||||
| US | 11 | 0.35 (0.34 to 0.37, 97.5) | 0.95 (0.94 to 0.95, 90.8) | 13.94 (9.34 to 20.82, 81.0) | 6.79 (4.79 to 9.63, 84.1) | 0.50 (0.41 to 0.60, 95.2) |
| CT | 11 | 0.46 (0.44 to 0.47, 97.6) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.89, 97.9) | 7.24 (5.46 to 9.62, 72.2) | 3.77 (2.08 to 6.84, 98.5) | 0.52 (0.45 to 0.61,89.7) |
| US/CT | 5 | 0.51 (0.49 to 0.52, 92.8) | 0.85 (0.84 to 0.86, 97.8) | 6.01 (3.84 to 9.40, 89.2) | 3.04 (1.93 to 4.80, 96.3) | 0.52 (0.45 to 0.60, 78.8) |
| Central neck level | ||||||
| US | 4 | 0.28 (0.24 to 0.32, 94.3) | 0.97 (0.96 to 0.98, 53.0) | 14.07 (6.66 to 29.71, 53.1) | 14.07 (6.66 to 29.71, 53.1) | 14.07 (6.66 to 29.71, 53.1) |
| CT | 4 | 0.32 (0.28 to 0.36, 88.2) | 0.89 (0.86 to 0.91, 84.6) | 5.48 (2.15 to 13.98, 84.3) | 3.71 (1.79 to 7.66, 83.0) | 0.74 (0.62 to 0.89, 86.7) |
| US/CT | 3 | 0.40 (0.35 to 0.45, 82.3) | 0.85 (0.82 to 0.88, 37.0) | 4.32 (2.09 to 8.92, 81.0) | 2.85 (1.75 to 4.65, 77.5) | 0.67 (0.52 to 0.86, 83.9) |
| Lateral neck level | ||||||
| US | 6 | 0.74 (0.69 to 0.78, 78.1) | 0.92 (0.90 to 0.94, 89.6) | 24.41 (11.16 to 53.42, 71.9) | 6.67 (2.91 to 15.30, 90.5) | 0.35 (0.28 to 0.43, 30.1) |
| CT | 6 | 0.73 (0.68 to 0.77, 90.7) | 0.89 (0.87 to 0.91, 91.8) | 15.55 (7.98 to 30.32, 64.6) | 5.54 (2.95 to 10.39, 82.9) | 0.35 (0.21 to 0.59, 91.4) |
| US/CT | 4 | 0.88 (0.83 to 0.91, 64.1) | 0.79 (0.73 to 0.84, 89.6) | 22.59 (11.29 to 45.19, 46.6) | 3.31 (1.53 to 7.17, 91.1) | 0.19 (0.14 to 0.25, 0) |
| Diagnostic accuracy of CT or US on patient level | ||||||
| All patient level | ||||||
| US | 4 | 0.41 (0.36 to 0.46, 95.5) | 0.92 (0.89 to 0.94, 0) | 7.56 (4.08 to 14.01, 51.3) | 4.48 (3.31 to 6.05, 0) | 0.65 (0.53 to 0.80, 75.5) |
| CT | 4 | 0.49 (0.44 to 0.54, 95.9) | 0.91 (0.89 to 0.94, 66.8) | 9.40 (5.79 to 15.27, 34.4) | 4.84 (3.66 to 6.39, 0) | 0.53 (0.37 to 0.75, 85.6) |
| US/CT | 2 | 0.64 (0.57 to 0.71, 0) | 0.83 (0.77 to 0.88, 0) | 8.59 (5.37 to 13.76, 0) | 3.71 (2.72 to 5.08, 0) | 0.43 (0.36 to 0.53, 0) |
| Central patient level | ||||||
| US | 2 | 0.21 (0.16 to 0.28, 24.8) | 0.95 (0.91 to 0.97, 0) | 4.53 (2.34 to 8.77, 0) | 3.78 (2.08 to 6.86, 0) | 0.84 (0.76 to 0.93, 36.4) |
| CT | 2 | 0.38 (0.32 to 0.46, 92.6) | 0.90 (0.85 to 0.93, 87.2) | 5.02 (0.46 to 54.54, 94.4) | 3.52 (0.52 to 23.84, 93.8) | 0.71 (0.41 to 1.22, 95.3) |
| US/CT | 2 | 0.47 (0.39 to 0.54, 80.8) | 0.85 (0.80 to 0.89, 0) | 4.88 (2.58 to 9.23, 46.4) | 3.14 (2.23 to 4.41, 0) | 0.64 (0.47 to 0.86, 78.4) |
| Lateral patient level | ||||||
| US | 2 | 0.87 (0.74 to 0.95, 88.2) | 0.89 (0.83 to 0.93, 91.4) | 20.11 (6.77 to 59.70, 0) | 3.58 (0.85 to 15.16, 91.0) | 0.22 (0.05 to 1.08, 58.0) |
| CT | 2 | 0.92 (0.81 to 0.98, 88.6) | 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93, 96.8) | 36.88 (11.40 to 119.35, 0) | 3.44 (0.29 to 40.77, 98.3) | 0.23 (0.10 to 0.52, 0) |
| US/CT | 2 | 0.98 (0.89 to 0.99, 58.9) | 0.92 (0.87 to 0.96, 97.5) | 78.10 (2.82 to 2160.4, 65.2) | 5.30 (0.15 to 186.11, 98.6) | 0.08 (0.02 to 0.41, 0) |
Results are presented as n (95% CI, I2 %).
LR+, positive likelihood ratio; LR-, negative likelihood ratio; US, ultrasound.