The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for soft tissue lipomas: a systematic review

Background Ultrasound has been used in the diagnosis of soft-tissue lesions for well over a decade. Lipomas are the most common, benign, soft-tissue tumor and comprise adipose tissue. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing lipomas on ultrasound vary greatly in the literature. Purpose To perfo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta radiologica open 2017-06, Vol.6 (6), p.2058460117716704-2058460117716704
Main Authors: Rahmani, George, McCarthy, Peter, Bergin, Diane
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose tissue
Confidence intervals
Diagnosis
Diagnostic systems
Literature reviews
Medical diagnosis
Sensitivity
Soft tissues
Systematic review
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasound
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Summary:Background Ultrasound has been used in the diagnosis of soft-tissue lesions for well over a decade. Lipomas are the most common, benign, soft-tissue tumor and comprise adipose tissue. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing lipomas on ultrasound vary greatly in the literature. Purpose To perform a systematic review on ultrasonography in soft-tissue lipomas to better ascertain the true diagnostic value of this test. Material and Methods A systematic review of the diagnostic value of ultrasound in lipomas was performed where possible in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using several well-known databases Scopus®, PubMed®, Ovid® Medline, and Web of Science®. Results A total of 455 articles were identified in the initial literature search. Six papers were included in the final systematic review, which revealed an overall sensitivity and specificity of 86.87% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 82.14–90.73) and 95.95% (95% CI = 93.75–97.54), respectively. Conclusion Ultrasound is a useful tool in the diagnosis of superficial lipomas with good sensitivity and even better specificity and should continue to be the first line investigation in such cases.
ISSN:2058-4601
2058-4601
DOI:10.1177/2058460117716704