Lung adenocarcinoma: characteristic radiological presentations

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common pulmonary malignancy.
• Radiology, particularly computed tomography (CT), is crucial for diagnosis, staging, and follow-up.
• Specific histological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma present characteristic imaging findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pathological, clinical, and radiological features of distinct lung adenocarcinoma subtypes.
• To identify forms of lung adenocarcinoma that can be accurately diagnosed using radiological imaging.
• To correlate imaging findings with specific histological characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on lung adenocarcinoma and its radiological presentation.
• Analysis of computed tomography (CT) findings in relation to histological subtypes.
• Correlation of clinical and pathological data with imaging characteristics.

Main Results:

• Computed tomography (CT) can suggest specific lung adenocarcinoma subtypes, including mucinous adenocarcinoma and lepidic growth adenocarcinoma.
• Radiological features associated with cystic lung lesions can indicate certain adenocarcinoma forms.
• Accurate radiological diagnosis is achievable for characteristic presentations of lung adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions:

• Radiological assessment, especially CT, plays a vital role in the diagnostic pathway of lung adenocarcinoma.
• Recognizing characteristic imaging patterns aids in differentiating histological subtypes.
• This review provides a guide for clinicians to improve diagnostic accuracy of lung adenocarcinoma subtypes through radiology.