Computed tomographic evaluation of pulmonary mass lesions in chest radiograph

Until recently, soliatry coin lesions of pulmonary disease hs been a conspicious problem in radiologic diagnosis, It is now well informed that CT has offered high resolution with its objective CT numbers to porvide additional information in terms of anatomic changes. Here by the aid of CT, the author gas reviewed retrospectively patients with various shape of round masses thus illustrating the advantage of it over conventional X-ray in diagnosis. 1. Total 53 patients, including 34 males and 19 females, aging between 19 to 76years old with nodule or mass of any size ranging 1 to 13cm in diameter were observed. 2. On palin chest X-raythey were indentified where 50 patients has single round nodule or mass, only one had two masses which were ecchinococcal cysts, and the rest two had invisible lesions only detected by CT. 3. With philips tomoscan 310, CTscan was taken with 12mm thick slice during quiet respiration. Using the ROI cursor the average CT number of thecentral area was calculated 1.0cm in side the outer border of the mass. 4. As a consequence of their pathologic features, they were itemized to 4 group as 36 solid, 9 cystic, 4 consolidative and 4 cavitary lesions. 5. Correctdiagnosis of 3 cystic lesions, 4 diffuse calcification, 1 A-V malformation were available by CT densitometry. 6.By the aid of better resolution and additional cross-sectional orientation of CT, 3 extrapulmonary lesions, 3segmental consolidations, 2 bronchocele, and 2 solitary metastasis, were helpful in diagnosis. 7. Also helpful indetermining the extent of intrathoracic extent of bronchogenic carcinoma for the same reason but given clues werenot more than the ordinary. 8. However, the limitation of the CT densitometry led to miss diagnosis of 3 examplesof cystic vs. solid lesions, and CT density of noncalcified granuloma together with bronchogenic carcinoma, didnot have a clear cut separation in between.