Clinical characteristics analysis of lung cancer with ground glass opacity

Abstract

Objective To explore clinical characteristics of the lung cancer with ground glass opacity (GGO) and to guide the early clinical detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Methods The clinical manifestation, imaging and morphological characteristics, treatment and prognosis of 56 patients diagnosed with lung cancer by histopathology and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) showing GGO in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.Chi-square test or t test was used to analyse the clinical and imaging manifestation in different pathological classification. Results The incidence of GGO was more common in women and non-smokers.There was no difference in ages among four pathological groups.These cases had no special presentation.The 56 cases confirmed with lung cancer by pathology after surgery included four cases of the atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), ten cases of adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS), 15 cases of minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) and 27 cases of invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC). There was significant difference in the diameter of the lesion among different pathological groups (χ2=19.246, P<0.05). The diameter of IAC group was greatly larger than that of AAH group.The lesion in invasive group (MIA+ IAC) was larger than that in preinvasive group (AAH+ AIS). There was also significant difference in GGO content among different pathological groups (χ2=20.001, P<0.05). The content of GGO in AAH group was significantly higher than that in MIA group and AIC group, and it was significantly higher in preinvasive group (AAH+ AIS) compared with invasive group (MIA+ IAC). There was no significant difference in the location of the lesion and the edge structure, internal structure and adjacent structure of lesion. Conclusions The lung cancer with GGO has few specific clinical symptoms.The GGO with imaging findings, such as lobulation, burr, cavitation, air-bronchogram, pleural indentation and vascular cluster, should be highly suspected malignant lesion.The pathological test should be performed timely.The larger diameter and less content of GGO are predictors of the malignant tumor.After surgery of lung cancer with GGO, the patient will have a longer lifetime and better prognosis. Key words: Ground glass opacity; Lung cancer; High resolution computed tomography; Clinical characteristics