Diagnostic performance of sonography in penetrating torso trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background This systematic review investigates the diagnostic value of ultrasound in the evaluation of torso injuries following a penetrating trauma. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, and WOS databases for related original articles until May 7, 2023, and extracted data related to diagnostic performance. The bivariate model and hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) approach were used to calculate pooled diagnostic values. Cochrane Q test and I -squared were performed to evaluate heterogeneity. We assessed heterogeneity with meta-regression. Results Seventeen studies were included, which involved a total number of 1866 patients. According to meta-analysis, sonography demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 56% (45–67%) and specificity of 96% (94–97%), positive likelihood ratio (LR +) of 13.66 (8.03–23.23), and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.45 (0.35–0.59) for detecting abdominal injuries. In pericardial penetrating trauma, pooled sensitivity was 100% (45–100%), pooled specificity was 99% (96–100%), LR + was 136.7 (24.8–752.3), and LR- was 0.00 (0.00–1.22). For thoracic penetrating trauma, pooled sensitivity was 99% (93–100%) and specificity was 100% (98–100%). Conclusions Sonography demonstrated promising diagnostic value in the initial assessment of torso penetrating trauma, particularly in the thoracic and pericardial regions. However, the sensitivity of sonography is limited in abdominal penetrating trauma and a combination with other imaging modalities should be considered in these cases.