[The value of three-phase pulmonary helical CT in diagnosing peripheral pulmonary cancer (diameter <or= 3 cm)].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of three-phase pulmonary helical CT in diagnosing peripheral pulmonary cancer (diameter </= 3 cm).


METHODS
Serial single-slice dynamic scans were obtained with helical CT before and after injection of 100 ml contrast material in 60 patients with solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs, diameter <or= 3 cm). The three-phase pulmonary helical CT was established by analyzing enhancement feature of thoracic aorta and pulmonary artery, and then the enhancement feature of three-phase pulmonary helical CT was analyzed.


RESULTS
The delayed times of three-phase pulmonary helical CT were pulmonary artery phase (15 second), bronchial artery phase (36 second), equilibrium phase (90 second) respectively. The prevalence model of density change for three-phase pulmonary helical CT: no enhancement, marked enhancement, moderate-enhancement in pulmonary cancer; slight or moderate-enhancement, marked-enhancement, marked-enhancement in inflammatory nodules; no enhancement or light-enhancement in tuberculoma and metastatic nodules. The enhanced branch and small spot vessels were demonstrated by bronchial artery phase in 82.9% of pulmonary cancer nodules.


CONCLUSIONS
The three-phase pulmonary helical CT could reflect the enhancement feature, blood supply of bronchial artery in peripheral pulmonary cancer (diameter </= 3 cm), it is helpful in early diagnosis and differentiation.
Tan
Li-lian
LL
CT Division, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510260, China. liliantan@163.com
Li
Yang-bin
YB
Li
Shu-xin
SX
Jiang
Jin-dai
JD
Li
Zhi-ming
ZM
Huang
Shi-zhang
SZ
Peng
Pin-xian
PX
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*