Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided intrathyroidal injection of glucocorticoids versus routine oral administration of glucocorticoids for subacute thyroiditis: Protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided intrathyroidal injection of glucocorticoids (GCs) versus routine oral administration of GCs for subacute thyroiditis (SAT) and to help seek evidence of evidence-based medicine (EBM) for ultrasound-guided intrathyroidal injection of GCs in the treatment of SAT. METHODS: Seven Chinese and English databases, including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, VIP Information China Science and Technology Journal Database, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were searched to collect randomized control trials on ultrasound-guided intrathyroidal injection of GCs in the treatment of SAT, which were published up to July 1, 2019. According to the method as described in Cochrane Reviewers’ Handbook 5.1.0, the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was employed to evaluate the quality of the literatures included. Statistical analysis was made by using Stata 12.0. The “metanif” command was used for sensitivity analysis to assess the stability of the results. Funnel diagram method, Egger linear regression method, and clipping complement method were used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: This study was carried out in strict accordance with the standard procedures for meta-analysis in the Cochrane Reviewers’ Handbook 5.1.0. Critical data about the primary and secondary outcome measures were obtained by statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: This study would draw a definite conclusion about whether ultrasound-guided intrathyroidal injection of GCs is effective and safe in the treatment of SAT on the basis of EBM. This conclusion would provide scientific evidence for the clinical treatment of SAT.