Lung ground glass opacity (GGO), which is associated with the pathology of the lung adenocarcinoma, is drawing more and more attention with the increased detection rate. However, it is still in the research stage for the imaging interpretation of GGO lesions. In this paper, we reviewed and analyzed the new classification of lung adenocarcinoma corresponding to the interpretation of GGO imaging feature, which emphasizes on how to determine the GGO lesions comprehensively and quantitative determination of the invasive extent of GGO.
Objective To improve our recognition of ground-glass opacity (GGO) through analyzing the imaging and pathological features of patients with focal GGO lung nodule. Methods Thirty patients with focal GGO nodule were assigned into a preinvasive lesion group, a minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) group, and an invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) group. The imaging features were retrospectively analyzed and pathological features by histological Masson staining, collagen Ⅳ staining and Vitoria blue staining were also compared among three groups. Furthermore, the relationship between pathology and imaging characteristics was studied too. Results Among 30 patients with focal GGO nodule, preinvasive lesions, MIA and IAC respectively occurred in 13, 3 and 14 cases. Size of nodules and solid portion were highest in the IAC group, middle in the MIA group, and lowest in the preinvasive lesion group. Similarly, signs of lobulation, spiculation and air bronchogram were seen mostly in the IAC group, and least in preinvasive lesion group. The spatial relationship between GGO nodules and supplying blood vessels was analyzed, and Type Ⅲ was more commonly seen in the IAC group with comparison to type Ⅱ more likely seen in the preinvasive lesion group. Moreover, collagen Ⅳ and Vitoria blue staining indicated that reticular fibers and collagenous fibers lessened around tumor tissue in the IAC group, whereas collagenous fibers proliferation and fibrous scar were shown by Masson staining in the IAC group. In CT-pathologic comparison, type Ⅲ supplying blood vessels were mostly seen in the IAC patients with obvious fibrous scar. Conclusions Persistent focal GGO nodules with larger size and higher percent of solid component are signs of malignancy. In tumor progression process, tumor cells break the reticular fibers and collagenous fibers in alveolar wall, then stimulate fibroblast hyperplasia and secrete collagenous fibers, thereby develop the central fibrous scar in tumor tissue, which might be the pathologic foundation of vascular bundle sign.
Objective To analyze the relationship between the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) gene mutation and malignant pulmonary focal ground-glass lesion (fGGL). Methods We retrospectively collected the clinical data of 86 patients with surgical treatment in the department of cardiothoracic surgery of Changzheng Hospital from August 2012 to February 2015. There were 26 males and 60 females with a mean age of 56.14±10.55 years. We analyzed the relationship between the EGFR gene mutation and the related clinical data. Results Postoperative pathology showed atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) combined with focal adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) or AIS in 10 patients, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) in 15, and lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA) in 61. The EGFR gene mutation reports showed the exon 19 19-del mutation in 14 patients, exon 21 L858R mutation in 27, and exon 21 L861Q mutation in 2. There was no difference between the mutation of EGFR gene and clinical factors except age and smoking (P>0.05). Till June 30, 2015, all patients were alive and follow-up was 440.48±186.61 days. Conclusion The EGFR gene in patients with malignant pulmonary fGGL shows a higher mutation rate, which provides important clinical reference data for the basic research and the clinical treatment.
Stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma presented as ground glass dominant on thin-section high-resolution CT scan is a special subtype of lung cancer. The characteristics of this subtype are quite different from the other patients, which presented as lower malignancy and better prognosis. Clinical, pathological and imaging studies have revealed that the proportion of the solid component in part-solid ground glass nodule is closely related with the pathological type and the prognosis of lung cancer. The methods for the assessment of the solid components in the ground glass nodule can be classified into three types, including subjective assessment, two dimensional measurement and three dimensional measurement. This review summarized the advantages and the limitations of these three methods. We also reviewed the clinical application of these techniques.
Objective To investigate the relationship between clinical features and lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma patients with T1 stage. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 253 T1-stage lung adenocarcinoma patients (92 males and 161 females at an average age of 59.45±9.36 years), who received lobectomy and systemic lymph node dissection in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from October 2013 to February 2016. Results Lymph node metastasis was negative in 182 patients (71.9%) and positive in 71 (28.1%). Poor differentiation (OR=6.988, P=0.001), moderate differentiation (OR=3.589, P=0.008), micropapillary type (OR=24.000, P<0.001), solid type (OR=5.080, P=0.048), pleural invasion (OR=2.347, P=0.024), age≤53.5 years (OR=2.594, P=0.020) were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis. In addition, in the tumor with diameter≥1.55 cm (OR=0.615, P=0.183), although the cut-off value of 1.55 cm had no significant difference, it still suggested that tumor diameter was an important risk factor of lymph node metastasis. Conclusion In lung adenocarcinoma with T1 stage, the large tumor diameter, the low degree of differentiation, the high ratio of consolidation, and the micropapillary or solid pathological subtypes are more prone to have lymph node metastasis.
Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common disorder with significant morbidity and mortality in patients who underwent pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGN) resection. We should make efforts to increase surgeons' awareness of risk factors of PE and their understanding of the effectiveness of prevention strategies. Using the optimal risk assessment model to identify high-risk patients and give them the individualized prophylaxis. Early diagnosis and accurate risk stratification is mandatory to reduce the rates of PE, to decrease health care costs and shorten the length of stay. This article summarizes the risk factors, diagnostic process, risk assessment models, prophylaxis and therapy for the PE patients who underwent GGN resection.
With the wide utilization of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in the lung cancer screening, patients detected with pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) have increased over time and account for a large proportion of all thoracic diseases. Because of its less invasiveness and fast recovery, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is currently the first choice of surgical approach to lung nodule resection. However, GGNs are usually difficult to recognize during VATS, and failure of nodule localization would result in conversion to thoracotomy or extended lung resection. In order to cope with this problem, a series of approaches for pulmonary nodule localization have developed in the last few years. This article aims to summarize the reported methods of lung nodule localization and analyze its corresponding pros and cons, in order to help thoracic surgeons to choose appropriate localization method in different clinical conditions.
With the development of thin section axial computed tomography scan, the detection rate of pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGN) continues increasing. GGN has a special natural growth history: pure ground-glass nodules (PGGN) smaller than 10 mm can hold steady for a long term, surgery resection is unnecessary, patients need regular follow up. Larger part solid ground-glass nodules (PSN) with a solid component can be malignant early stage lung cancer, which requires early surgery intervention. Establishment of a standard definition of GGN growth, investments in the long term natural growth history of GGN, validation of the clinical, radiology and genetic risk factors would be beneficial for the management of GGN patients.
Differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ground glass nodule (GGN) is of great significance to the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Increasing attention has been paid to radiomics technology application in early diagnosis of benign and malignant GGN, which can analyze the characteristic appearances of GGN in non-invasive manner. This article reviews the latest research progress of radiomics in the diagnosis of GGN.
With the development of technology, the detection rate of ground-glass opacity (GGO) is rapidly increasing. GGO comprises of pure GGO and mixed GGO. Many researches have studied the characteristics of GGO, and they found that different malignant probability of GGO was associated with different image characteristics. It is obvious that there is a close relationship between the image characteristics of GGO and its prognosis. However, due to the various image characteristics of GGO, it is essential to assess the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients in a more comprehensive way. In this review, we summarize the correlation between the main GGO image features (solid proportion, size, mean CT value, shape characteristics) and the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients, to provide clinical reference for prognosis prediction and decision-making for patients with lung adenocarcinoma.