CT profile curves of peripheral pulmonary adenocarcinoma of the lung: correlations with Noguchi type.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the ability to identify early adenocarcinomas (Noguchi types A/B) from peripheral lung adenocarcinomas of less than 20 mm in diameter based on CT profile curves.


METHODS
High resolution CT (HRCT) of 33 patients with peripheral lung adenocarcinoma less than 20 mm in diameter were reviewed retrospectively. CT attenuation values were measured using profile curves. Maximum and minimum CT values among profile curves of tumors were correlated with pathological diagnosis based on Noguchi type.


RESULTS
As adenocarcinoma type worsened, CT values increased in both minimum and maximum values for the central portion of the tumor, although maximum values did not differ between type C and types D/E/F. Maximum CT values were significantly higher for type B than for type A (p = 0.0029). Minimum CT values were significantly lower for type B than for C (p = 0.0022). In both maximum and minimum CT values, significant differences existed between Noguchi types A/B and all other Noguchi types (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001) and between types A/B and type C (p = 0.0013, p = 0.0003).


CONCLUSIONS
CT profile curves are relatively simple to derive and offer a consistent method of differentiating Noguchi types A/B from type C and from types C/D/E/F.
Murata
Yoriko
Y
Department of Tumor Radiology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8505, Japan.
Kubota
Kei
K
Itoh
Satoshi
S
Fukumoto
Mitsutaka
M
Ohara
Shuichi
S
Yoshida
Shoji
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*