title: Using air bronchograms on multi-detector CT to predict the invasiveness of small lung adenocarcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of multidetector CT (MDCT) air bronchograms and their value in predicting the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  MDCT scans of 606 nodules in 582 patients with a lung adenocarcinoma less than 2cm in diameter confirmed by surgery and pathology were reviewed. Air bronchograms were classified into three patterns: type I, bronchus with intact lumen; type II, bronchus with dilated or tortuous lumen; and type III, bronchus with obstructed lumen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Air bronchograms were demonstrated on MDCT in 210 of 606 (34.7%) lung adenocarcinomas with 16.6% (35/211) preinvasive lesions (PL), 30.5% (50/164) minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and 54.1% (125/231) invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) (P=0.000); 18.3% (44/240) pure ground-glass nodules (GGNs), 44.2% (137/310) mixed GGNs, and 51.8% (29/56) solid nodules (P=0.000). Type I was slightly more common in MIA (36/164, 22.0%) than IAC (40/231, 17.3%) and PL (30/211, 14.2%) but without differences among them (P=0.147). Type II (PL: 5/211, 2.4%; MIA: 13/164, 7.9%; IAC: 53/231, 22.9%) and type III (PL: 0/211; MIA: 1/164, 0.6%; IAC: 32/231, 13.9%) were observed more frequently with increasing lung adenocarcinoma invasiveness (both P=0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence and patterns of air bronchograms on MDCT can predict the invasiveness of small lung adenocarcinomas.
authors: Department of Radiology, Jinshan Hospital & Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Radiology, Jinshan Hospital & Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China. Electronic address: dr.jinweiqiang@163.com.
authors: Jin Wei
authors: JW
authors: Qiang
authors: Department of Radiology, Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: Department of Radiology, Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China. Electronic address: yejianding@126.com.
authors: Jian Ding
authors: JD
authors: Ye
authors: Department of Pathology, Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Pathology, Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000388:Air; D001995:Bronchography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adenocarcinomas; Air bronchogram; Invasiveness; Lung cancer; Tomography; X-ray computed