Abstract：Objective: To perform a Meta-analysis comparing current noninvasive imaging methods[18F fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography(PET), PET/CT, and CT] in the detection of residual tumor after radiofrequency ablation of hepatic malignancies. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library and some other databases, from January 1966 to April 2010, were searched for initial studies. All the studies published in English or Chinese relating to the diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET, PET/CT, and CT for patients with residual tumor after radiofrequency ablation of hepatic malignancies were collected. Methodological quality was assessed. The statistic software called “Meta-Disc 1.4” was used for data analysis. A covariate analysis was used to evaluate the influence of patient or study-related factors on sensitivity. Results: In 12 included studies, CT had the highest pooled specificity, 0.93(95%CI: 0.91~0.95); PET/CT had highest pooled sensitivity, 0.90(95%CI: 0.86~0.94). The AUC of PET, PET/CT and CT were 0.9037, 0.7372 and 0.9142 respectively. The pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity and AUC showed no statistical significance between PET alone and PET/CT. For CT, its diagnostic value decreased in differentiating residual tumor for patients with inflammatory reaction around the lesion. The pathological types of liver tumors also affect the diagnostic value of PET and PET/CT. There was heterogeneity among studies and evidence of publication bias. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT can provide added diagnostic information compared with CT in patients after radiofrequency ablation of hepatic malignancies. FDG-PET/CT is a more sensitive method in the follow-up of hepatic malignancies after radiofrequency ablation, particularly in patients with liver metastases.
2010, Vol. 21 
