Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Diagnostic accuracy studies were eligible. No restrictions relating to sample size were applied.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of FDG-PET were eligible for inclusion; studies using a coincident gamma camera were apparently excluded. Some included studies used an attenuation correction. PET interpretation was either visual or SUV (not defined in paper). Some studies reported using a fasting period of 4 to 6 hours or less. The uptake period of FDG, where reported, ranged from 15 to 90 minutes. Image reconstruction was by iterative reconstruction, filtered-back projection, or both.
Reference standard test against which the new test was compared
No inclusion criteria relating to the reference standard were specified. The reference standards used were pathology and/or clinical follow-up. Among studies that used clinical follow-up, this ranged from 3 to 72 months.
Participants included in the review
No inclusion criteria relating to the participants were specified. The patients had Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and were aged from 7 to 90 years (mean age: 29 to 66). The proportion of male patients ranged from 45 to 68%.
Outcomes assessed in the review
To be included, studies had to report sufficient data to enable the calculation of the sensitivity and specificity.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.