1998 Volume 38 Issue 1 Pages 19-28
To determine serial changes of the disease over time, we reviewed CT scans of five patients with histologically proven peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung. All cases had been observed for more than one year. The tumor doubling time was 14.8-36.8 months for well-to-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and 10.0 months for poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. In three patients with well-to-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, increase of vessel convergence and pleural indentation toward the tumor were observed although the tumor remained unchanged in size. An air bronchogram was observed in the tumor in all patients, and it became indistinct in three patients in the course of time.
On follow-up CT examination of small pulmonary nodules, the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma should be suspected when vessel convergence and pleural indentation toward the tumor increases or air bronchogram in the tumor become indistinct in the course of time.
