title: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: focal area of ground-glass attenuation at thin-section CT as an early sign.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess an early thin-section computed tomographic (CT) finding of the localized formation of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC).
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 1994 to September 1995, four consecutive patients with biopsy-proved BAC were studied. Thin-section CT (n=4), radiographic (n=4), pathologic (n=4), and positron emission tomographic (n=2) findings were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chest radiographs showed focal areas of poorly defined nodules (n=2) and poorly defined opacity (n=2). At thin-section CT, lesions appeared as isolated areas of ground-glass attenuation (n=2) and mixed areas of ground-glass attenuation and consolidation (n=2). The areas of ground-glass attenuation were 1.8-11 cm in longest diameter. A focal, isolated area of ground-glass attenuation changed into mixed areas with consolidation at serial CT in one patient. Mucinous and nonmucinous BACs were observed in two patients each. Positron emission tomography showed false-negative results for malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Focal areas of ground-glass attenuation at CT could be an early sign of localized BAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose