Pulmonary nodules resected at video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: etiology in 426 patients. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • PURPOSE: To determine the etiology of pulmonary nodules resected at video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and establish the probabilities that single or multiple nodules resected at VATS represent malignancy in patients with or patients without known cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pathology reports from VATS performed between January 1995 and July 1997 were searched for data on gross specimens revealing pulmonary nodules 3 cm or smaller. Findings were correlated with clinical and histologic data. RESULTS: In 254 patients with one nodule resected at VATS, the nodules were malignant in 108 patients with and in 32 patients without known cancer (P < .03). Among 172 patients with multiple nodules resected, at least one nodule was malignant in 85 patients with and in 20 patients without known cancer (P > .05). Nodules larger than 1 cm were more likely to be malignant than were smaller nodules (P < .002). In patients with known malignancy, nodules smaller than 0.5 cm were more likely to be benign, whereas nodules larger than 0.5 cm but smaller than 1 cm were more likely to be malignant (P < .001). CONCLUSION: A single pulmonary nodule resected at VATS was more likely to be malignant in patients with known cancer. Nodules larger than 1 cm but smaller than 3 cm resected at VATS were more likely to be malignant. Nodules smaller than 0.5 cm were more likely to be benign.

publication date

  • October 1, 1999

Research

keywords

  • Lung Diseases
  • Lung Neoplasms
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule
  • Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0032887871

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1148/radiology.213.1.r99oc08277

PubMed ID

  • 10540672

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 213

issue

  • 1