HRCT study of the relationships between pulmonary ground glass nodules and blood vessels

ZHENG Kuikui; ZHOU Xiaoxuan; XU Haoli; CHEN Weijian; YANG Yunjun

Abstract：Objective To investigate the relationships between pulmonary ground glass nodules (GGN) and blood vessels, and to explore the diagnostic values in differentiating GGNs .Methods HRCT imaging of 58 patients (60 GGNs) was retrospec-tively reviewed .Relationships between GGNs and supplying blood vessels were categorized into three types :I, intact vessels pass-ing through and/or passing by GGNs;II, dilated, distorted and/or dilated seen within GGNs;III, interrupted seen within GGNs or/and more complicated vasculature than described above .Relationship types were correlated to pathologic findings of GGNs . Results Of 58 patients, 11 were benign, 26 were preinvasive disease and 23 were invasive disease that were pathologically prov-en.Types I, II and III vascular relationships were observed in 13, 23 and 22 GGNs, respectively.A significant statistical differ-ence was shown between GGN-vessel relationships and groups (χ2 =17.92, P =0.01).Combined type III and III +IV, 22 were invasive disease (96%,22/23), 21 were preinvasive disease (81%,21/26) and 4 were benign (36%,4/11).When GGN-vessel appeared abnormal , the higher risk of GGN should be malignant .Correlation analysis showed correlation between groups and relationships .Conclusion Different GGNs have different relationships with vessels that may help to identify which GGNS are more likely to be malignant .