Comparing the diagnostic performance of [F]FDG PET/CT and [F]FDG PET/MRI for detecting cardiac sarcoidosis: A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the comparative diagnostic efficacy of [F]FDG PET/CT and [F]FDG PET/MRI in detecting cardiac sarcoidosis.

METHODS

An extensive search was conducted in the PubMed and Embase databases to identify available publications up to November 2023. Studies were included if they evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of [F]FDG PET/CT and [F]FDG PET/MRI in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis. Sensitivity and specificity were evaluated using the DerSimonian and Laird method, with subsequent transformation via the Freeman-Tukey double inverse sine transformation. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test.

RESULTS

16 articles involving 1361 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The overall sensitivity of [F]FDG PET/CT in detecting cardiac sarcoidosis was 0.77(95%CI: 0.62-0.89), while the overall sensitivity of [F]FDG PET/MRI was 0.94(95%CI: 0.84-1.00). The result indicated that [F]FDG PET/MRI appears to a higher sensitivity in comparison to [F]FDG PET/CT(P = 0.02). In contrast, the overall specificity of [F]FDG PET/CT in detecting cardiac sarcoidosis was 0.90(95%CI: 0.85-0.94), while the overall specificity of [F]FDG PET/MRI was 0.79(95%CI: 0.53-0.96), with no significant difference in specificity (P = 0.32).

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis indicates that [F]FDG PET/MRI demonstrates superior sensitivity and comparable specificity to [F]FDG PET/CT in detecting cardiac sarcoidosis. However, the small number of PET/MRI studies limited the evidence of current results. To validate these results, larger, prospective studies employing a head-to-head design are needed.