Sae Rom Hong MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Hye-Jeong Lee MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yoo Jin Hong MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jin Hur MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Young Jin Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Byoung Wook Choi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

In the evaluation of soft tissue nodular lesions confined within the endobronchial lumen, we aim to suggest CT imaging features that help in differentiating transient secretion from endoluminal tumors, so that the patients who are in need of further invasive bronchoscopic evaluation can be identified.

Patients with histologically proven endobronchial tumor from 2007 to 2011 were enrolled. Also patients whose follow-up CT showed migration or disappearance of endobronchial lesion or bronchoscopic evaluation revealed no endobronchial tumor or presence of secretion, from 2009 to 2011 were included. Only the lesion confined within the endobronchial lumen with nodular appearance were included. Two radiologists analyzed features of lesions in consensus, including the size, location, shape, margin, angle between the lesion and contacting bronchial wall, presence of air, fat, calcification within lesion and distal obstruction. Comparison between endobronchial tumors and secretion was perfomred by using Pearson's chi-squared test and t-test.

38 patients with endobronchial tumors (mean age : 57.82, range 12 to 78) and 47 with mucus secretion (mean age : 67.74, range 29 to 84) were included. On CT imaging, endobronchial tumors were more likely to have lobulated shape(p<.0001), narrow angle with bronchial wall (p<.05), fat within lesion(p<.005) and distal obstruction (p<.0001). Secretions were more likely to have irregular shape(p<.0001), broad angle (p<.05), posterior wall in location(p<.001), and air within lesions(p<.0001). There were no significant difference between tumors and secretions in margin, density, and presence of calcification within lesion. Longitudinal diameter on axial scans of lung setting was longer in endobronchial tumors(p<.0001), and change of diameter between lung setting and mediastinal setting [(long diameter on lung setting - long diameter on mediastinal setting)/long diameter on lung setting] was larger in secretion(p<.0001).

On CT imaging, the findings of size, location, shape, angle between contacting bronchial wall, presence of air, fat within lesion and distal obstruction are helpful in distinguishing endobronchial tumors from secretion.

By assessing features of CT findings, one can differentiate transient secretion from endoluminal tumors, so that the patients who needs further invasive bronchoscopic evaluation can be identified.

Hong, S, Lee, H, Hong, Y, Hur, J, Kim, Y, Choi, B, Differentiation between Mucus Secretion and Endoluminal Tumors in Airway: Analysis and Comparison of CT Findings.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12029683.html