Pulmonary metastatic nodules

To evaluate the relationship of metastatic nodules to pulmonary vessels on high resolution CT (HRCT), HRCT of five fixed and inflated human lungs has been performed (2-mm sections). The authors attempted to locate 182 nodules (0.6-8 mm) by using HRCT images and radiographs of serial 1-mm-thick lung sections. Nodules smaller than 3 mm were located within the pulmonary lobule on bronchovascular bundles (24%), between bronchovascular bundles and pulmonary veins or interlobular septa (64%), and on pulmonary veins or interlobular septa (12%). Local tumor infiltration from the nodules along the vessels also was seen in two lungs