BACKGROUND

The T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) mismatch sign, has been considered a highly specific imaging biomarker of IDH-mutant, 1p/19q noncodeleted low-grade glioma. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of T2-FLAIR mismatch sign for prediction of a patient with IDH-mutant, 1p/19q noncodeleted low-grade glioma, and identify the causes responsible for the heterogeneity across the included studies.

METHODS

A systematic literature search in the Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed for studies reporting the relevant topic before November 17, 2020. The pooled sensitivity and specificity values with their 95% confidence intervals were calculated using bivariate random-effects modeling. Meta-regression analyses were also performed to determine factors influencing heterogeneity.

RESULTS

For all the 10 included cohorts from 8 studies, the pooled sensitivity was 40% (95% confidence interval [CI] 28-53%), and the pooled specificity was 100% (95% CI 95-100%). In the hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic curve, the difference between the 95% confidence and prediction regions was relatively large, indicating heterogeneity among the studies. Higgins I statistics demonstrated considerable heterogeneity in sensitivity (I = 83.5%) and considerable heterogeneity in specificity (I = 95.83%). Among the potential covariates, it seemed that none of factors was significantly associated with study heterogeneity in the joint model. However, the specificity was increased in studies with all the factors based on the differences in the composition of the detailed tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The T2-FLAIR mismatch sign is near-perfect specific marker of IDH mutation and 1p/19q noncodeletion.