Diagnostic Performance of Multidetector Computed Tomography in the Evaluation of Esophageal Varices: A Meta-Analysis Study

Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) imaging is a noninvasive tool that does not necessitate sedation and allows accurate assessment of the variceal site and size. Patients experience better tolerance when using MDCT than upper GI endoscopy (EGD). The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of MDCT in evaluating esophageal varices. We conducted a thorough search of international databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) and extracted studies using the appropriate keywords to investigate the efficacy of MDCT in evaluating esophageal varices. The collected data were analyzed using the random and fixed-effects model and STATA (version 15). 17 articles aligned with the inclusion criteria, published between 2008 and 2022, were included in the study. The pooled data of 15 articles on MDCT sensitivity and specificity were 0.87 and 0.82, with 95% CI of 0.85-0.89 and 0.81-0.84, respectively. The meta-analysis of the data from fourteen articles showed a pooled PPV of 0.85 and a pooled NPV of 0.84, with 95% CI of 0.83-0.87 and 0.82-0.85, respectively. Also, our meta-analysis of eight surveys that reported accuracy revealed a high pooled accuracy of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.93), underscoring the reliability of MDCT in evaluating esophageal varices. These findings strongly suggest that MDCT holds considerable potential as a valuable diagnostic tool for clinicians managing patients with liver cirrhosis and suspected esophageal varices, paving the way for more effective patient care.