Tuberc Respir Dis.  2017 Oct;80(4):368-376. 10.4046/trd.2017.0050.

Are There Any Additional Benefits to Performing Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Scans and Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Patients with Ground-Glass Nodules Prior to Surgery?

• Song JU
• Song J
• Lee KJ
• Kim H
• Kwon OJ
• Choi JY
• Kim J
• Han J
• Um SW

• KMID: 2420579
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2017.0050

Abstract

BACKGROUND
A ground-glass nodule (GGN) represents early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. However, there is still no consensus for preoperative staging of GGNs. Therefore, we evaluated the need for the routine use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scans and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during staging.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis was undertaken in 72 patients with 74 GGNs of less than 3 cm in diameter, which were confirmed via surgery as malignancy, at the Samsung Medical Center between May 2010 and December 2011.
RESULTS
The median age of the patients was 59 years. The median GGN diameter was 18 mm. Pure and part-solid GGNs were identified in 35 (47.3%) and 39 (52.7%) cases, respectively. No mediastinal or distant metastasis was observed in these patients. In preoperative staging, all of the 74 GGNs were categorized as stage IA via chest CT scans. Additional PET/CT scans and brain MRIs classified 71 GGNs as stage IA, one as stage IIIA, and two as stage IV. However, surgery and additional diagnostic work-ups for abnormal findings from PET/CT scans classified 70 GGNs as stage IA, three as stage IB, and one as stage IIA. The chest CT scans did not differ from the combined modality of PET/CT scans and brain MRIs for the determination of the overall stage (94.6% vs. 90.5%; kappa value, 0.712).
CONCLUSION
PET/CT scans in combination with brain MRIs have no additional benefit for the staging of patients with GGN lung adenocarcinoma before surgery.

Keyword

Solitary Pulmonary Nodule; Adenocarcinoma; Neoplasm Staging; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Brain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma
Brain*
Consensus
Electrons*
Humans
Lung
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Neoplasm Metastasis
Neoplasm Staging
Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography
Retrospective Studies
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Flow chart demonstrating the enrollment of the study subjects. GGO: ground glass opacity; CT: computed tomography.

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