Objective To compare the clinical safety and efficacy of CT-guided hook-wire localization of≤10mm pulmonary ground-glass nodule(GGN)via different path ways before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS).Methods The clinical data of a total of 128 patients with 10 mm pulmonary GGN,who received CT-guided hook wire localization before VATS at The Third Hospital of Mianyang of China between July 2018 and March 2023,were retrospectively analyzed.According to the puncturing localization path way mode,the patients were divided into vertical puncturing group(n=88)and non-vertical puncturing group(n=40).The number of puncturing times,the time spent for puncturing localization,the success rate of puncture,the operation time of VATS,and puncture-related complications of the two groups were recorded.Results No statistically significant differences in the gender,age,smoking history,GGN location,puncture position,nodule size,density characteristics of GGN,emphysema,and nodules-pleura distance existed between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Compared with non-vertical puncturing group,in vertical puncturing group the number of puncturing times was smaller,the time spent for localization was shorter,the incidence of pneumothorax was lower,and the operation time of VATS was shorter,the differences in all the above indexes between the two groups were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);and the subgroup analysis of patients whose GGN was overlapped with rib shadow obtained the same results.Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that non-vertical puncturing and the number of puncturing times were the independent risk factors for the occurrence of pneumothorax.Conclusion CT-guided hook-wire localization of≤10mm pulmonary GGN before VATS is clinically safe and effective.Under the condition when the lesion can be localized within the range of 2.0cm and the shadow overlapping of GGN with the rib and blood vessel can be effectively avoided,vertical puncturing path way mode should be preferred,which can effectively reduce the incidence of pneumothorax and shorten the operation time of VATS.