Validity of narrow band imaging in the detection of oral and oropharyngeal malignant lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: This meta-analysis describes the validity of narrow band imaging (NBI) in the assessment of suspicious oral lesions.

Methods: Medline, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for trial studies comparing NBI with conventional modalities in the oral cavity (OC) and oropharynx (OP) for the detection of dysplastic and malignant change.

Results: Seven studies were found, and generally supported the utility of NBI in different clinical settings, although there were exceptions. Pooled data from 4 studies of NBI validity demonstrated high summary specificity and sensitivity for a wide range of suspicious lesions of the OC or OP (75.7% with 95% CI 65.1%-83.9%, and 91.5% with 95% CI 81.8%-96.3%, respectively). Summary positive likelihood ratio (LR+) was 8.91 (95% CI 4.1-19.6) and 0.27 (95% CI 0.18-0.39), respectively.

Conclusions: NBI is a promising diagnostic and surveillance tool for suspicious lesions in the OC or OP; however, higher powered studies will define precise NBI criterion and clinical recommendations.

Keywords: erythroplakia; leukoplakia; malignant lesions; narrow band imaging; oral lesions.