The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for soft tissue lipomas: a systematic review

Ultrasound has been used in the diagnosis of soft-tissue lesions for well over a decade. Lipomas are the most common, benign, soft-tissue tumor and comprise adipose tissue. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing lipomas on ultrasound vary greatly in the literature.

To perform a systematic review on ultrasonography in soft-tissue lipomas to better ascertain the true diagnostic value of this test.

A systematic review of the diagnostic value of ultrasound in lipomas was performed where possible in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using several well-known databases Scopus®, PubMed®, Ovid® Medline, and Web of Science®.

A total of 455 articles were identified in the initial literature search. Six papers were included in the final systematic review, which revealed an overall sensitivity and specificity of 86.87% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 82.14-90.73) and 95.95% (95% CI = 93.75-97.54), respectively.

Ultrasound is a useful tool in the diagnosis of superficial lipomas with good sensitivity and even better specificity and should continue to be the first line investigation in such cases.