The value of subsolid pulmonary nodules in imaging diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer

Haozhe HUANG; Guodong LI; Lichao XU; Wentao LI; Shengping WANG

ABSTRACT

Background and

purpose:

With characteristic but non-specific features, subsolid pulmonary nodules (SSPN) is closely associated with early lung cancer. This study aimed to estimate the imaging value of SSPN in stageⅠA lung cancer, and summarized the radiological features of various SSPNs, retrospectively.

Methods:

The clinical data and imaging data of 405 patients with solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) from Apr. 2008 to Apr. 2014 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were collected. According to ground-glass opacity (GGO) proportion, SPNs were divided into 3 groupspure ground-glass opacity (pGGO), mixed ground-glass opacity (mGGO) and solid nodule (SN). The malignant ratios were calculated based on the postoperatively pathological results. Besides, SSPNs were classiifed into stageⅠA lung cancer group and benign lesions group aiming at identifying the differentiating computed tomography (CT) features.

Results:

Of the enrolled 405 SPN patients, there were 367 SSPNs (including 124 pGGOs and 243 mGGOs) whose incidence in stageⅠA lung cancer group was signiifcantly higher than those in benign group [95.9%(257/268) vs 80.3%(110/137), P<0.001]. The total malignant ratio of SSPN was 70.0%(257/367), mGGO had a higher malignant ratio (72.0%) than those of pGGO (66.1%) and SN (28.9%). The malignant SSPNs were frequently detected in upper lobe of middle-aged women with a higher incidence of irregular edge, spiculation, lobulation and pleural retraction than benign group (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

SSPN is one of the signiifcantly malignant indicators, and mGGO has the highest malignant tendency. Senility, female, irregular edge, spiculation, lobulation, pleural retraction and pulmonary upper lobe distribution are demonstrated the signiifcant discriminators from benign lesions.