Tumor size in patients with severe pulmonary emphysema might be underestimated on preoperative CT

To evaluate the effect of emphysema on tumor diameter measured on preoperative computed tomography (CT) images versus pathological specimens.

We investigated patients who underwent primary lung cancer surgery: 55 patients (57 tumors) with severe emphysema and 57 patients (57 tumors) without emphysema. The tumor diameters measured in the postoperative pathological specimens were compared with those measured on the axial CT images and on multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) CT images by two independent radiologists; a subgroup analysis according to tumor size was also performed. A paired or unpaired t test was performed, depending on the tested subjects.

In the emphysema group, the mean axial CT diameter was significantly smaller than the mean pathological diameter (p = 0.025/0.001 for reader 1/2), whereas in the non-emphysema group, the mean axial CT diameter was not significantly different from the pathological one for both readers. The difference between CT axial diameter and pathological diameter (= CT diameter - pathological diameter) was significantly smaller (i.e., had a stronger tendency toward underestimation on radiological measurements) in the emphysema group compared with the non-emphysema group (p = 0.014/0.008 for reader 1/2), and the difference was significantly smaller in tumors sized > 30 mm than tumors sized ≤ 20 mm in both groups.

Tumor size is significantly smaller on preoperative CT in patients with severe emphysema compared to patients without emphysema, especially in the case of large tumors. MPR measurement using the widest of three dimensions should be used to select T-stage for patients with severe emphysema.

• The presence of emphysema affects the accuracy of tumor size measurements on CT. • Compared to patients without emphysema, the tumor size in severe emphysema patients tends to be measured smaller in preoperative CT than the pathological specimen. • This trend is more evident when large tumors are measured on axial CT images alone.