Malignant Pure Pulmonary Ground-Glass Opacity Nodules: Prognostic Implications

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate follow-up results in terms of patient prognosis for malignant pulmonary nodules depicted as pure ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesion observed at high-resolution CT (HRCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical removal for malignant GGO nodules was accomplished in 58 patients (26 men, 32 women; mean age, 57 years; age range, 29-78 years). Patient prognoses were assessed by patient clinical status and the presence of changes in nodule size determined after a follow-up HRCT examination. Differences in patient prognoses were compared for nodule number, size, surgical method, change in size before surgical removal, and histopathological diagnosis by use of Fisher's exact test and Pearson's chi-squared test. RESULTS: Of the 58 patients, 40 patients (69%) were confirmed to have a bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) and 18 patients (31%) were confirmed to have an adenocarcinoma with a predominant BAC component. Irrespective of nodule size, number, treatment method, change in size before surgical removal and histopathological diagnosis, neither local recurrence nor a metastasis occurred in any of these patients as determined at a follow-up period of 24 months (range; 12-65 months). Of 14 patients with multiple GGO nodules, all of the nodules were resected without recurrence in six patients. In the remaining eight patients, the remaining nodules showed no change in size in seven cases and a decrease in size in one case as determined after a follow-up CT examination. CONCLUSION: Prognoses in patients with pure GGO malignant pulmonary nodules are excellent, and not significantly different in terms of nodule number, size, surgical method, presence of size change before surgical removal and histopathological diagnosis.

Diffuse Nodular Lung Disease / 결핵

The diffuse nodular lung lesion has a diagnostic problem and should be made differential diagnosis. A chest X-ray of 62-year-old male patient with dyspnea showed small-sized scattered multinodular lesion on entire lung field. Bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial needle aspiration showed the non-specific findings, so open lung biopsy was done and revealed bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma.

Clinical Study of Bronchioloalveolar Cell Carcinoma / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma today needs further studies as an early diagnosis will drastically improve the chances of cure. METHODS: Twenty-four cases of bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma for the period of 5 years were studied in terms of incidence, age, sex, underlying diseases, symptoms, radiographic findings, Methods of diagnosis, clinical and pathologic staging, Methods of treatment, and survival retrospectively. RESULTS: No correlation was found between patients' age, sex, and underlying diseases. Most common symptoms were cough(62.5%), chest pain(29.2%), and sputum(29.2%). Of the 24 cases, 13 patients(54.2%) had solitary nodule, 6 patients(25%) had multiple nodules. At the time of diagnosis, 3 patients(12.5%) had the stage I diseases, 3 patients(12.5%) had the stage II diseases, 4 patients(16.7%) had the stage III diseases, 3 patients(12.5%) had the stage IIIb diseases, and 11 patients(45.8%) had the stage IV diseases. 14 cases(58.3%) were found inoperable at the time of admission; they all died within 17 months. In 7 cases with stage I, II, IIIa diseases curative resection were attempted, in 1 case with stage IV disease wedge resection for palliative management was performed, and in 4 cases patients were still alive at the time of Conclusion of this study. CONCLUSION: We conclude that early diagnosis of disease will increase operability and improve chances of survival and that aggressive diagnostic workup for suspicious pulmonary infiltrate is essential as early operation offers the best chances of cure.