Comparative Analysis Of HRCT Image Features And Histopathology In Pulmonary Ground-glass Nodules

PURPOSE:This study aimed to compare the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) image features of patients with Pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) with histopathology.METHOD AND MATERIALS:Thirty-nine pulmonary GGNs resected between May 2013 and May 2014 were evaluated and pathologically classified as preinvasive lesions (atypical adenomatous hyperplasia(AAH) and adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS); n=7), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA; n=12), invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC; n=20). The lesion size, volume, solid component ratio, shape, margin, spiculation, lobulation, air-containing space, vacuole sign and pleural indentation on CT images were compared with pathological results to identify the features that helped distinguish between invasive group(IAC) and non- or minimally-invasive group(preinvasive lesions and MIA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to identify factors that could help define invasive idenocarcinomas.RESULTS:There were statistically significant differences in lesion volume, spiculation, lobulation, pleural indentation and solid component ratio between preinvasive lesions and IAC (P<0.05); There were statistically significant differences in lesion volume and pleural indentation between MIA and IAC (P<0.05); There were statistically significant differences in spiculation and pleural indentation between preinvasive lesions and MIA (P<0.05); The more spiculations, lobulations, vacuole signs and pleural indentations were present in the invasive group than non-or minimally-invasive group (P<0.05). In ROC curve analyses, the sensitivity and specificity of lei son size (cutoff,14.5mm) to define invasive adenocarcinomas were 89.5% and 40.0%, respectively; and those for lesion volume (cutoff,1.45cm3) were 94.7% and 55.0%, respectively; for solid component ratio of lesion (cutoff,35%) were 73.7% and 45.0%, respectively.CONCLUSION:Pulmonary nodules of grinding glass HRCT manifestations, nodule size, volume, and solid composition has certain correlation with the pathological results, analysis the imaging performance helps to identify preoperative pulmonary grinding glass nodule diagnosis..