Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Metastasis in Testicular Cancer: MRI, CT Show Comparable Accuracy

While testicular cancer is a relatively rare disease, retroperitoneal lymph node involvement is a common occurrence, presenting in about 20% of cases. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis has compared the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) against computed tomography (CT) for the identification of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis in patients affected by this disease.

A comprehensive search of databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was performed to collect information on studies comparing MRI with CT for the detection of retroperitoneal lymph node involvement in adult patients with testicular neoplasms.

Data collected included study design, sample size, patient demographics, imaging techniques, and diagnostic outcomes. Bias risk was determined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and a random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis.

Of 618 articles found, four met the study’s inclusion criteria. Each study noted the high sensitivity rates of both MRI and CT, with MRI sensitivities ranging from 97% to 100%, and CT sensitivities from 96% to 100%.

Specificity findings varied, but some studies suggested similar or slightly higher rates in favor of MRI. A meta-analysis of three studies did not find a significant difference between MRI and CT in the detection of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, with an odds ratio of 1.00 (95% CI: 0.54-1.86) and minimal heterogeneity (I² = 0%).

The results of this analysis suggest that both MRI and CT share similar diagnostic accuracy for the detection of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis in patients with testicular cancer.