Diagnostic Utility of Selective Upper Tract Urinary Cytology: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Literature

Abstract

The diagnosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) can be a challenging diagnostic pursuit. To date, there is no large-scale study assessing the statistical utility (eg, sensitivity and specificity) of selective cytology. Herein, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the published literature to evaluate the efficacy of selective cytology for the detection of UTUC in patients with a suspicious clinical profile Selective cytology confers a high specificity but marginal sensitivity for the detection of UTUC. The sensitivity is greater for high-grade UTUC lesions. The statistical assessment of its utility is limited by the heterogeneity and bias of previous studies.