Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1
Flowchart of study population inclusion.
- Figure 2
Patient example 1. Male, 64 years, a solid spiculated nodule (13 mm * 11 mm) located on the right upper lobe with the pleural indentation sign. The mean density of the nodule was 16 Hounsfield Units on CT without iodine contrast, and uneven enhancement 97 Hounsfield Units after contrast (A and B: non-contrast-enhanced CT. C: contrast-enhanced CT). Histology: Adenocarcinoma (stage I).
- Figure 3
Patient example 2. Female, 58 years, a solid smooth nodule (18 mm * 14 mm) located on the right upper lobe and close to the vessel. The mean density of the nodule was 41 Hounsfield Units on CT without iodine contrast, and uniform enhancement 52 Hounsfield Units after contrast (A and B: non-contrast-enhanced CT. C: contrast-enhanced CT). Histology: Hamartoma.
Tables
Characteristics Total Malignant Benign P Gender, n (%) 0.803 Male 153 (51.2) 104 (50.5) 49 (52.7) Female 146 (48.8) 102 (49.5) 44 (47.3) Age in years, mean (SD) 57.7 (10.7) 59.5 (10.2) 53.6 (10.8) <0.001 Smoking history*, n (%) 0.415 Non smoker 157 (52.5) 112 (54.4) 45 (48.4) Smoker 120 (40.1) 91 (44.2) 29 (31.2) Pack-year smoking history*, median (IQR) 45.0 (20.0–80.0) 45.0 (20.0–80.0) 22.5 (15.0–45.0) 0.039 Family cancer history*, n (%) 0.299 No 225 (75.3) 168 (81.6) 57 (61.3) Yes 52 (17.4) 35 (17.0) 17 (18.3) Clinical symptoms*, n (%) 0.342 No 155 (51.8) 110 (53.4) 45 (48.4) Yes 122 (40.8) 93 (45.1) 29 (31.2) COPD, n (%) 0.514 No 247 (82.6) 168 (81.6) 79 (84.9) Yes 52 (17.4) 38 (18.4) 14 (15.1) EGFR mutation EGFR 19 13 (20.0) 13 (20.0) - EGFR 21 15 (23.1) 15 (23.1) - EGFR wild type 37 (56.9) 37 (56.9) - *A total of 22 outpatients with no information on smoking, cancer history, family cancer history, and clinical symptoms. SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range.
Characteristics Total Malignant Benign P Nodule type, n (%) 0.001 Non-solid 16 (5.1) 10 (4.7) 6 (5.9) Part-solid 36 (11.5) 34 (16.0) 2 (4.7) Solid 262 (83.4) 168 (79.2) 94 (92.2) Nodule size (mm) <0.001 Median (IQR) 16.0 (12.0–20.0) 18.0 (14.0–22.0) 12.5 (9.0–18.0) Location, n (%) 0.886 Upper lobe 178 (56.7) 122 (57.5) 56 (54.9) Middle lobe 28 (8.9) 19 (9.0) 9 (8.8) Lower lobe 108 (34.4) 71 (33.5) 37 (36.3) Margin, n (%) <0.001 Smooth 57 (18.2) 11 (5.2) 46 (45.1) Lobulated 62 (19.7) 48 (22.6) 14 (13.7) Spiculated 195 (62.1) 153 (72.2) 42 (41.2) Nodule density (HU), median (IQR) CT density unenhanced 26.0 (15.0–34.0) 27.0 (20.0–34.5) 26.5 (15.0–35.0) 0.481 CT density enhanced* 64.0 (47.0–80.0) 67.0 (51.0–81.0) 57.5 (34.5–77.0) 0.015 Difference value* 38.0 (21.9–54.0) 42.0 (26.5–54.5) 28.0 (8.5–46.3) 0.001 *n = 76 without contrast-enhanced CT examination.
Variable Total Malignant Benign Nodule nature confirmed by: Surgery 232 (73.9) 166 (78.3) 66 (64.7) Biopsy 36 (11.5) 30 (14.2) 6 (5.9) CT follow-up 46 (14.6) 16 (7.5) 30 (29.4) Procedure prior to surgery, n (%) Contrast-enhanced CT 194 (83.6) 140 (84.3) 54 (81.8) CT FU 18 (7.8) 16 (9.6) 2 (3.0) PET CT 38 (16.4) 32 (19.3) 6 (9.1) Biopsy 2 (0.8) 2 (1.2) 0 (0.0) Only non-contrast enhanced CT 19 (8.2) 12 (7.2) 7 (10.6) Stage of malignancy confirmed by surgery*, n (%) I - 128 (77.1) II - 8 (4.8) III - 25 (15.1) IV - 5 (3.0) *According to TNM 7th version.
Characteristics Pathology No. of nodules (%) Benign (n = 72)* Inflammatory pseudotumor 13 (18.1) Granuloma 8 (11.1) Hamartoma 20 (27.8) Tuberculosis 13 (18.1) Sclerosing hemangiomas 6 (8.3) Sarcoidosis 1 (1.4) Pulmonary nodular lymphoid hyperplasia 3 (4.2) Malignant (n = 196)* Adenocarcinoma 163 (83.2) Squamous cell 18 (9.2) Small cell 5 (2.6) Large cell 1 (0.5) Carcinoid 3 (1.5) Clear cell 1 (0.5) *Detailed information on histopathologic subtype was missing for 5 malignant and 8 benign nodules.
