Radiological appearance from 250 patients of the Clinic and Policlinic for Radiology at the University of Munich with histologically detected bronchial carcinoma

From 250 patients of the Clinic and Policlinic for Radiology at the University of Munich from 1975 to 1979 the radiomorphology of the central and peripheral bronchial carcinoma is demonstrated. The sex ratio of 6.3/1, the age distribution with its peak between 60 and 70 years of age and the localisations with a predominance in the right lung and a preferred infection of the upper lobes from our study agreed with the results from the literature. Characteristic early symptoms are missing with bronchial carcinoma, although clinical symptoms in the rule are the first evidence. For early recognition the first and easiest diagnostic procedure is the radiological examination of the thorax in two planes. Circular foci and peripheral tumor shadows, which occur with the spreading of the mediastinum or the hilus, in these patients about 50%, are in large amounts suspicious of a malignancy and indicate an advanced stage. Because the prognosis of the bronchial carcinoma depends on the histological structure of the tumor and on the point in time of diagnosis, an improvement of the life expectancy can only be reached by early detection. In the risk group of smokers over 40 years of age and of professionally exposed people, even minor changes should be considered as carcinoma until the opposite can be proven. (orig./TRV)