title: Quantification of ground-glass opacity on high-resolution CT of small peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung: pathologic and prognostic implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to correlate the high-resolution CT findings of small peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung with underlying histopathology and to evaluate the prognostic implications of the CT findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The high-resolution CT findings of small peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung in 224 patients were analyzed by two independent observers for location, size, marginal characteristics, and extent of ground-glass opacity and necrosis. The pathologic specimens were reviewed by an experienced lung pathologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and thirty-two patients had bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and 92 had adenocarcinoma. The extent of ground-glass opacity was greater in bronchioloalveolar carcinomas (mean +/- SD, 29% +/- 31.6%) than in other adenocarcinomas (8% +/- 13.3%) (p < 0.001). The extent of ground-glass opacity was significantly greater in patients without recurrence (p = 0.020) and those without nodal (p = 0.017) or distant (p = 0.007) metastases than in patients with nodal or distant metastases or in whom the carcinoma had recurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extent of ground-glass opacity in a nodule is greater in bronchioloalveolar carcinomas than in other adenocarcinomas. Greater extent of ground-glass opacity also correlates with improved prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50, Ilwon-Dong, Kangnam-Ku, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johkoh
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadohara
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kozuka
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005898:Glass; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*