title: The role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in management of the multiple ground-glass nodules.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the outcomes of patients with multiple ground-glass nodules (GGNs) to identify the role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in diagnosis and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included patients with multiple GGNs who were qualified for thoracoscopic surgery resection and analyzed the statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one GGNs were detected in 21 patients. There were 40 pure GGNs and 11 part-solid ones. Around 46 of the 51 lesions were resected via VATS. Four pure GGNs <10 mm and deep in the lung were proceeded with continuous follow-up. One pure GGN measuring 16 mm considered as subnodule and also deep in the lung underwent stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. Resection methods included lobectomy (1), segmentectomy (1), lobectomy + segmentectomy (6), lobectomy + wedge resection (10), and segmentectomy + wedge resection (3). Of the 46 resected lesions, 4 (8.7%) were atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), 23 (50%) were adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS), 15 (32.7%) were minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), 2 (4.3%) were invasive adenocarcinoma, one was pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma, and one was nonspecific fibrosis. Intersegmental lymph node metastasis was found in one of the 21 patients. No postoperational complication occurred in any of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple GGNs were generally independent primary lung cancers, mainly including AAH, AIS, MIA, rather than intrapulmonary metastasis. VATS was superior to thoracotomy for less invasive and shorter hospital stay.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055613:Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed