Adenocarcinoma of the lung CT

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shanshan Cen, M.D. [2]

Chest CT scan may be helpful in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the lung. Finding on CT scan suggestive of adenocarcinoma of the lung is a lung nodule with a rounded or irregular region of increased attenuation.

• CT scan is the preferred modality for staging adenocarcinoma of the lung.
• Findings on CT scan suggestive of adenocarcinoma of the lung include:^[1]
  • Adenocarcinoma appears as a lung nodule with a rounded or irregular region of increased attenuation, measuring less than 3 cm.
  • Based on degree of attenuation, lung nodules may be either ground glass, sub-solid, or solid.
  • Ground-glass attenuation corresponds to a lepidic growth pattern.
  • Solid component corresponds to invasive patterns.
  • Preinvasive category of adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, and lepidic predominant invasive adenocarcinoma has mostly a ground-glass component.
  • Invasive subtypes of adenocarcinoma are usually solid nodules.

• Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma subtypes may have a variable appearance:
  • Consolidation
  • Air bronchograms
  • Multifocal subsolid nodules or masses

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