Accuracy of ultrasound in distinguishing pathology of malignant thyroid diseases: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the incidence rate of thyroid cancer is increasing. Meanwhile, with the development of medical technology, the detection rate of thyroid cancer by ultrasound has been greatly improved. Normally doctors can initially distinguish pathology of malignant thyroid diseases by their abundant experience. And it will bring assistance to follow-up treatment. However, the results of these studies have been contradictory. Therefore, this meta-analysis tested the hypothesis that ultrasound is accurate in distinguishing pathology of malignant thyroid diseases. METHODS: We will search PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Chinese biomedical databases from their inceptions to the December 14, 2021, without language restrictions. Two authors will independently carry out searching literature records, scanning titles and abstracts, full texts, collecting data, and assessing risk of bias. Review Manager 5.2 and Stata14.0 software will be used for data analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review will determine the accuracy of ultrasound in distinguishing pathology of malignant thyroid diseases. CONCLUSION: It is findings will provide helpful evidence for the accuracy of ultrasound in distinguishing pathology of malignant thyroid diseases. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY2021120072.