The value of sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography in differentiating and staging renal cell carcinomas: A systematic review.

Abstract

Misdiagnosis of benign renal neoplasms can lead to unnecessary surgical resections, which increases the risk of other morbidities and mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to find a diagnostic modality for differentiation between benign and malignant renal masses. In the current study, we summarized published pieces of evidence concerning the use of technetium-99m (99mTc)-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) as a promising diagnostic nuclear imaging modality for the differentiation of renal neoplasms. The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We conducted a systematic electronic database search for suitable studies from inception till February 20, 2020 in 9 databases. The risk of bias was assessed for the included studies using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. We identified 9373 records after exclusion of 8978 duplicates using EndNote software. Title and abstract screening resulted in 761 records for further full-text screening. Finally, four studies were included with total sample size of 80 patients. The overall risk of bias was low to moderate. The results of all the included studies supported using 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT for the differentiation between benign and malignant renal neoplasms. The use of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT could be a rapid, less invasive, promising diagnostic modality for histological diagnosis and staging of renal neoplasm, as well as monitoring post-therapy tumor's response. However, more studies with large sample sizes are essential to confirm the reliability and accuracy of this modality for usage.