We performed a meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of high b-value diffusion-weighted imaging for patients with prostate cancer. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine disc, and Wanfang databases from January 1, 1995, to April 30, 2021, was conducted. The quality of the retrieved papers was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated using bivariate mixed effects models. A total of twenty-four articles matched the selection criteria and were finally included after screening the titles, abstracts, and full texts of 641 initial articles. The pooled sensitivity and specificity (95% CI) were 0.84 (0.80-0.87) and 0.87 (0.81-0.91), respectively. The pooled positive and negative likelihood ratios (95% CI) were 6.4 (4.4-9.3) and 0.19 (0.16-0.23), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio was 34 (95% CI: 22-51). The area under the summary receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88-0.93). Subgroup analysis presents similar results. The diagnostic accuracy of high b-value diffusion-weighted imaging was similarly high in the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of prostate cancer.
Keywords: diagnostic accuracy; diffusion-weighted imaging; high b-value; meta-analysis; prostate cancer.