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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1552185
Transvaginal Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Detecting Rectosigmoid Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis: A Comparative Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted- 1 Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- 2 Changfeng Community Health Service Center, Changfeng Street, Putuo District,, Shanghai, China
Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic efficacy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of rectosigmoid deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).Methods: A thorough systematic review was performed by searching the PubMed and Embase databases for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of TVS and MRI in rectosigmoid DIE, up until August 12, 2024. The DerSimonian and Laird approach was utilized to calculate sensitivity and specificity, with the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation employed for data analysis. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool.The meta-analysis encompassed 10 studies involving 1,604 patients. The findings revealed that TVS had an overall sensitivity of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.76-0.92) and specificity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.85-0.98), while MRI demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.92) and specificity of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90-0.99). Statistical analysis indicated no significant differences in sensitivity (P = 0.86) or specificity (P = 0.50) between the two imaging techniques. Additionally, the funnel plot asymmetry test did not reveal significant publication bias for any outcomes (Egger's test: all P > 0.05).The meta-analysis reveals nearly equivalent diagnostic performance of TVS and MRI in detecting rectosigmoid DIE, with no statistical differences in sensitivity and specificity. However, high heterogeneity among studies highlights the need for further prospective research.
Keywords: Ultrasonography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Rectosigmoid, Endometriosis, Meta-analysis
Received: 27 Dec 2024; Accepted: 03 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xu, Li, Wang, Wan and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jing Chen, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.