Thin-section CT-pathologic correlation in pulmonary adenocarcinoma

High resolution CT (HRCT) images in 25 patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma were compared with the histological structure of the resected specimen with particular emphasis on growth pattern, interstitial change, and marginal structure. The HRCT images were classified into twelve types of domains from two points of view; density (L: homogeneously low, U: unhomogeneous, H: homogeneously high), and marginal pattern (cd: clearly defined, ud: unclearly defined, fs: finely spiculated, cs: coarsely spiculated), which resulted in Lcd: 10, Ucd: 3, Ufs: 6, Ucs: 1, Hcd: 8, Hud: 4, Hfs: 7, Hcs: 6. Lcd corresponded tobronchioloalveolar type of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with mild interstitial change. Hud and Hcsdomain showed severe interstitial changes which might suggest poor prognosis. (author)