Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: a review

The radiographs of 136 patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma were reviewed. The varied radiographic manifestations were a result of the characteristic peripheral location of the tumor, its tendency to infiltrate the local airways with mucus production and desmoplasia, and its variable aggressiveness resulting in a wide variation in rate of intrathoracic and extrathoracic spread. In the absence of surgical intervention, a localized lesion progressed to diffuse disease in every patient. The findings supported the concept of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma as a distinct clinical entity.