title: Can preoperative computed tomography of the chest predict completeness of the major pulmonary fissure at surgery?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An incomplete major pulmonary fissure can make anatomic lung resection technically more difficult and may increase the risk of complications, such as prolonged postoperative air leak. The objective of this study was to determine if preoperative computed tomography (CT) of the chest could accurately predict the completeness of the major pulmonary fissure observed at the time of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 2008 to June 2009, patients at a single university institution were enrolled if they underwent surgery for a pulmonary nodule, mass or known cancer. At the time of surgery, completeness of the major pulmonary fissure was graded 1 if pulmonary lobes were entirely separate, 2 if the visceral cleft was complete with an exposed pulmonary artery at the base with some parenchyma fusion, 3 if the visceral cleft was only evident for part of the fissure without a visible pulmonary artery and 4 if the fissure was absent. The preoperative CT scan of each patient was graded by a single, blinded chest radiologist using the same scale. We used the Pearson χ2 test with 2-tailed significance to test the independence of the operative and radiologic grading.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 48% (29 of 61) of patients, the radiologic and operative grading were the same. Of those graded differently, 94% (30 of 32) were within 1 grade. Despite this agreement, we observed no statistically significant correlation between the operative and radiologic grading (p = 0.24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major fissure can often be well-visualized on a preoperative CT scan, but preoperative CT cannot accurately predict the completeness of the major pulmonary fissure discovered at surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta. colin.schieman@gmail.com
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schieman
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: MacGregor
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: McFadden
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gelfand
authors.forename: Sean C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Grondin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome