Correlation between high-resolution CT and pathologic findings of tumor in pulmonary carcinoma

To determine the value of high-resolution CT (HRCT) in the diagnosis of pulmonary carcinoma, HRCT was performed in vivo before operation and radiographic and pathologic findings of inflated and fixed lungs were examined after operation (22 primary cases). Only three of 14 adenocarcinomas and three of six squamous cell carcinomas showed ill-defined margins and adjacent subtle high-attenuation areas, representing the alveoli on the lining by neoplastic cells or infiltration of lymphatic cells surrounding the tumor. In the other 16 cases, including two cases of small cell carcinoma, well-defined margins represented mucus secretion or filling entirely with neoplastic cells within alveoli