Diagnostic accuracy of photodynamic diagnosis for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) by performing a meta-analysis.

Relevant articles were retrieved from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases. Studies evaluating the accuracy of PDD for the diagnosis of upper UTUC were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated by STATA 16.0 at the per-lesion level.

Six studies with 289 lesions were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that PDD can differentiate upper UTUC from benign lesions with a sensitivity of 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.85-0.99) and a specificity of 0.86 (95% confidence interval: [0.64-0.95]; AUC, 0.97). Compared with white-light ureterorenoscopy, PDD can significantly improve the additional detection rate of UTUC (RR 0.16, 95% CI 0.07-0.34 P = 0.000).

PDD is a valid technique that improves the diagnostic accuracy of UTUC compared with standard white-light ureterorenoscopy at the per-lesion level. PDD is a promising endoscopic technique for upper UTUC.

Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy. 2020 Oct 20 [Epub ahead of print]

Qiangzhao Liu, Xiaofeng Zhang, Fenghai Zhou, Qiong Lian, Haidi Lv, Bohong Guo, Xinsheng Xi

Department of Urology, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China., Department of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, PR China.