Correlation between CT imaging characteristics and pathological diagnosis for subcentimeter pulmonary nodules

Abstract

Background Advances in chest computed tomography (CT) have resulted in more frequent detection of subcentimeter pulmonary nodules (SCPNs), some of which are non‐benign and may represent invasive lung cancer. The present study aimed to explore the correlation between pathological diagnosis and the CT imaging manifestations of SCPNs. Methods This retrospective study included patients who underwent pulmonary resection for SCPNs at Shandong Provincial Hospital in China. Lesions were divided into five categories according to their morphological characteristics on CT: cotton ball, solid‐filled with spiculation, solid‐filled with smooth edges, mixed‐density ground‐glass, and vacuolar. We further analyzed lesion size, enhancement patterns, vascular aggregation, and SCPN traversing. Chi‐square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and Welch's one‐way analysis of variance were used to examine the correlation between CT imaging characteristics and pathological type. Results There were statistically significant differences in the morphological distributions of SCPNs with different pathological types, including benign lesions and malignant lesions at different stages (p < 0.01). The morphological distributions of the four subtypes of invasive lung adenocarcinoma also exhibited significant differences (p < 0.01). In addition, size and enhancement patterns differed significantly among different pathological types of SCPNs. Conclusion Different pathological types of SCPNs exhibit significant differences based on their morphological category, size, and enhancement pattern on CT imaging. These CT characteristics may assist in the qualitative diagnosis of SCPNs.

Expression and clinical significance of CD31, CD34, and CD105 in pulmonary ground glass nodules with different vascular manifestations on CT

“…Our previous study ( 33 ) showed that the CT characteristics of vicious GGNs like pleural traction sign, spiculation, and lobulation are helpful in the qualitative diagnosis of subcentimeter lung nodules, but many nodular lesions are small in size and not easily visible on CT. In contrast, clinicians can effectively make a qualitative diagnosis of small-sized GGNS with typical vessel penetration in small nodules.…”

A pretreatment prediction model of grade 3 tumors classed by the IASLC grading system in lung adenocarcinoma

“…Chen et al defined CTR > 0.5 as radiological invasiveness and used it to construct a radiomics model for predicting micropapillary and solid components, with the sensitivity and specificity reaching 90.00% and 45.21%, respectively [ 27 ]. According to the study of Hu et al, there are significant differences in CT morphology between different pathological subtypes, except the acinar and papillary subtypes [ 28 ]. Moreover, Yi et al found that smoking was closely related to micropapillary and solid tumors [ 29 ].…”

Advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of sub‑centimeter lung cancer in the era of precision medicine (Review)

“…Furthermore, a large number of studies in previous years have established an association between gene mutations and tumor development, leading to the emergence of targeted drugs based on gene mutations in the era of precision medicine for lung cancer treatment (12)(13)(14). Despite these advancements, the diagnostic and therapeutic options for sub-centimeter lung lesions remain controversial (15)(16)(17)(18). Determining the best target and timing of drug treatment for patients with sub-centimeter lung cancer continues to be a matter of debate (19)(20)(21).…”