J Korean Radiol Soc.  2007 Dec;57(6):525-531. 10.3348/jkrs.2007.57.6.525.

A Clue for the Diagnosis of Lung Cancer Looking Lobar Consolidation with Emphasis on Thickness and Enhancement Pattern of Bronchial Wall on CT

• Yoo HS
• Kwon W
• Cha SW
• Kim SH
• Koh SB
• Kim MS

• KMID: 1945352
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.2007.57.6.525

Abstract

PURPOSE
To differentiate between lung cancer and pneumonia for cases of lobar consolidation, with an emphasis on the thickness and enhancement pattern of the bronchial wall viewed by a CT.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients with evidence of lobar consolidation, from a simple-chest radiograph, and divided them into groups by condition (lung cancer, n = 5; pneumonia, n = 12). CT scans were performed on all patients and bronchial wall thickness, which is the cranio-caudal length of the bronchial wall thickness and the enhancement pattern, were measured and analyzed at the mediastinal window setting.
RESULTS
The thickness of the bronchial wall in the lung cancer group (2.46+/-0.37 mm) was significantly greater than the pneumonia group (1.73+/-0.36 mm) (p = 0.002). Moreover, the bronchial wall thickness was greater than 2.0 mm for all patients in the cancer group. Further, if a diagnostic criterion was set to be larger than 2.0 mm, 100% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity would be achieved for the study subjects. The cranio-caudal length of the bronchial wall thickness in the cancer group was 37.5+/-16.4 mm, which was significantly greater than the pneumonia group (16.3+/-6.6 mm) (p = 0.001). We found no significant difference for the degree of contrast enhancement between the two groups.
CONCLUSION
A CT scan measurement of the bronchial wall thickness greater than 2 mm in CT scans can be an indicator for diagnosing lung cancer in patients with lobar consolidation.

Keyword

Lung neoplasms; Inflammation; Tomography, X-Ray computed; Bronchi

MeSH Terms

Bronchi
Diagnosis*
Humans
Inflammation
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Pneumonia
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Tomography, X-Ray Computed