Solitary pulmonary nodule: high-resolution CT and radiologic-pathologic correlation

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Pulmonary nodules are common findings on chest imaging.
• Accurate differentiation between benign and malignant nodules is crucial for patient management.
• High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) provides detailed imaging of lung structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate HRCT-identified edge and internal characteristics of pulmonary nodules with pathological findings.
• To determine the diagnostic value of specific HRCT features in distinguishing benign from malignant pulmonary nodules.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of HRCT scans from 93 patients with pulmonary nodules.
• Correlation of imaging features with histopathological examination of resected specimens.
• Statistical analysis to compare the frequency of features in benign versus malignant nodules.

Main Results:

• Spiculation, lobulation, and inhomogeneous attenuation were significantly more common in malignant nodules.
• Pleural tags and bubblelike areas of low attenuation were also more frequent in malignant lesions.
• Malignant nodules were generally larger than benign nodules.

Conclusions:

• HRCT features such as spiculated contour, lobulation, and inhomogeneous attenuation are valuable indicators of malignancy in pulmonary nodules.
• Pathological correlation confirms that these imaging findings represent specific tumor growth patterns or associated fibrotic changes.
• HRCT is a powerful tool for characterizing pulmonary nodules and guiding further diagnostic or therapeutic decisions.