Dr Jun Lin and colleagues evaluated the diagnostic value of confocal laser endomicroscopy in detection of gastric cancer, gastric intraepithelial metaplasia, and gastric intraepithelial neoplasia lesions.

The team searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Wangfang databases to include eligible articles about confocal laser endomicroscopy in detection of gastric lesions. 

After study selection, quality assessment and data extraction conducted by two reviewers independently, meta-analysis was performed by Meta-Disc 1.4. 

The pooled sensitivity and specificity was calculated, receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve was calculated.

The research team identified 23 studies evaluating the diagnostic value of confocal laser endomicroscopy. 

For the diagnosis of gastric cancer lesions, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve were 91%, 99%, and 0.9513, respectively. 

For the diagnosis of lesions, the researchers noted that the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve were 92%, 97%, and 0.9774, respectively. 

For the diagnosis of gastric intraepithelial neoplasia lesions, the team found that the pooled sensitivity, specificity and area under receiver operating characteristic curve were 81%, 98%, and 0.9204, respectively.

Dr Lin's team comments, "Confocal laser endomicroscopy can provide an accurate diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity for gastric cancer, gastric intraepithelial metaplasia, and gastric intraepithelial neoplasia lesions."

"The results should be confirmed by well-designed, multi-centered, randomized controlled, and double blinded trials with large samples."