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Quantitative investigation of solitary pulmonary nodules with dynamic contrast-enhanced functional CT

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Clinical Oncology

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) using quantitative-dynamic contrast-enhancedfunctional-computed tomography (CT); and to illustrate its clinical efficacy in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules.

Methods

Eighty patients with noncalcified SPNs (diameter, 5–30 mm) were studied with dynamic contrast-enhanced CT. Patterns of the time-density curves (TDC) were assessed. The precontrast density, peak height in density (PH: the maximum value of the TDC) and S/A ratio (the ratio of the PH of SPN to aorta) were recorded. Precontrast density and enhancement patterns of SPNs were also recorded. Perfusion of the SPNs was calculated.

Results

Malignant, benign and inflammatory nodules showed quite different patterns in the TDC. The PH and S/A ratios of the malignant and inflammatory nodules were significantly higher than that of the benign nodules (P<0.001; P<0.001), while no statistical difference of either the PH or S/A ratio was found between the malignant and inflammatory nodules. Precontrast density of the inflammatory nodules was lower than that of the malignant nodules (P <0.05). Both the malignant and inflammatory nodules showed significantly higher perfusions than that of the benign nodules (P<0.01; P<0.01). However, the difference between the perfusion of the malignant nodules and inflammatory nodules was not significant.

Conclusion

Dynamic contrast-enhanced functional CT can provide quantitative information regarding blood flow patterns of SPNs and proved to be an alternate noninvasive option in the evaluation and management of solitary pulmonary nodules.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310003, Hangzhou, China

    Minming Zhang, Hua Zhou & Yu Zou

Authors
  1. Minming Zhang
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  2. Hua Zhou
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  3. Yu Zou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Minming Zhang.

Additional information

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30170284).

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Cite this article

Zhang, M., Zhou, H. & Zou, Y. Quantitative investigation of solitary pulmonary nodules with dynamic contrast-enhanced functional CT. Chin. J. Clin. Oncol. 1, 229–235 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02739806

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02739806

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