title: Efficacy of computed tomography features in predicting stage III thymic tumors.
abstract: Accurate assessment of the invasion of intrathoracic structures by stage III thymic tumors assists their appropriate management. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of computed tomography (CT) features for the prediction of stage III thymoma invasion. The pre-operative CT images of 66 patients with confirmed stage III thymic tumors were reviewed retrospectively. The CT features of invasion into the mediastinal pleura, lungs, pericardium and great vessels were analyzed, and their sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value and accuracy were calculated. For mediastinal pleural and pericardial invasion, an absence of space between the tumor and the mediastinal pleura/pericardium with mediastinal pleural/pericardial thickening and pleural/pericardial effusion exhibited a specificity and PPV of 100%, respectively. For lung invasion, a multi-lobular tumor convex to the lung with adjacent lung abnormalities exhibited a specificity and PPV of 91.2 and 81.3%, respectively. For vessel invasion, the specificity and PPV were each 100% for tumors abutting ≥50% of the vessel circumference, and for tumor oppression, deformation and occlusion of the vessel. In conclusion, recognition of the appropriate CT features can serve as a guide to invasion by stage III thymic tumors, and can facilitate the selection of appropriate pre-operative treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, P.R. China; Department of Radiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jianding
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaodan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Libo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Minghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: computed tomography; feature; invasion; stage; thymic tumor