The Value of Chest CT in the Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Pulmonary Nodules: A Meta-Analysis
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By
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Chen, Risheng
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Fu, MingJuan
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Hu, Shun
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Zhong, Yuanyuan
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May 8, 2026
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Objective:
To systematically evaluate the diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) in differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules.
Key Findings:
- Pooled sensitivity of CT was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.89 to 0.91).
- Pooled specificity of CT was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.72 to 0.76).
- Positive likelihood ratio was 3.28 (95% CI: 2.81 to 3.83).
- Negative likelihood ratio was 0.13 (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.17).
- Diagnostic odds ratio was 33.20 (95% CI: 23.52 to 46.87).
- Area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was 0.9177.
Interpretation:
CT has a high diagnostic value in differentiating benign from malignant pulmonary nodules.
Limitations:
Conclusion:
CT is an important method for evaluating pulmonary nodules in clinical practice.
