New data in staging and prognosis of bronchopulmonary carcinoma. Part II: volumetric analysis of pulmonary nodules
Ioachimescu, O.; Corlan, E.
Pneumologia 57(4): 209
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 2067-2993 PMID: 19186683 Document Number: 622291
Pulmonary nodules discovered incidentally or in the context of the work-up for symptomatic conditions represent an area of major interest. By definition, a pulmonary nodule is defined as a well-circumscribed round or oval lesion, measuring less than 3 cm in maximal diameter. The impact of newer technologies on our capacity to detect pulmonary nodules has increased significantly in the last decade, from the utilization of high-performance computed tomographic (CT) scanners, to the development of more functional imaging techniques, such positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. The latter still has a suboptimal resolution for nodules less than one centimeter in size, hence the use of high-resolution, multi-detector CT scanners has become a more frequent clinical problem for these nodules. In this review we describe the latest developments in the CT technology, such as volumetric reconstruction and characterization of the pulmonary nodules and how this can impact the modern diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.