Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Uterine Leiomyomas and Sarcomas

Background: Differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas is challenging. Ultrasound shows an uncertain role in the clinical practice given that pooled estimates about its diagnostic accuracy are lacking.

Objectives: To assess the accuracy of ultrasound in the differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas.

Data sources: A systematic review was performed searching 5 electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ClinicalTrial.gov) from their inception to June 2023.

Methods of study selection: All peer-reviewed observational or randomized clinical trials that reported an unbiased postoperative histologic diagnosis of uterine leiomyoma or uterine sarcoma that also comprised a preoperative ultrasonographic evaluation of the uterine mass.

Tabulation, integration, and results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve on summary receiver operating characteristic were calculated for each included study and as pooled estimate, with 95% confidence interval (CI); 972 women (694 with uterine leiomyomas and 278 with uterine sarcomas) were included. Ultrasound showed pooled sensitivity of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.70-0.81), specificity of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.87-0.92), positive and negative likelihood ratios of 6.65 (95% CI, 4.45-9.93) and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.07-1.0) respectively, diagnostic odds ratio of 23.06 (95% CI, 4.56-116.53), and area under the curve of 0.8925.

Conclusions: Ultrasound seems to have only a moderate diagnostic accuracy in the differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas, with a lower sensitivity than specificity.