title: Superficial endobronchial lung cancer: radiologic-pathologic correlation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the plain chest radiographic and CT findings of superficial endobronchial lung cancer and to correlate these with the findings of histopathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved 19 consecutive patients with pathologically proven lung cancer confined to the bronchial wall. Chest radiographs and CT scans were reviewed for the presence of parenchymal abnormalities, endobronchial nodules, bronchial obstruction, and bronchial wall thickening and stenosis. The CT and histopathologic findings were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen of the 19 patients had abnormal chest radiographic findings, while in 15 (79%), CT revealed bronchial abnormalities: an endobronchial nodule in seven, bronchial obstruction in five, and bronchial wall thickening and stenosis in three. Histopathologically, the lesions appeared as endobronchial nodules in 11 patients, irregular thickening of the bronchial wall in six, elevated mucosa in one, and carcinoma in situ in one.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT helps detect superficial endobronchial lung cancer in 79% of these patients, though there is some disagreement between the CT findings and the pathologic pattern of bronchial lesions. Although nonspecific, findings of bronchial obstruction or bronchial wall thickening and stenosis should not be overlooked, and if clinically necessary, bronchoscopy should be performed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Nae Jin
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Koun-Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kyung Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joon Beom
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Jin Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae-Hwan
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Gil Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed