OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlations between vessel changes and the histopathologic subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma with pure ground-glass nodule (pGGN) on computed tomography (CT).

METHODSTotally 107 patients (116 lesions) with lung adenocarcinomas with pGGN who had undergone curative resection were included. Vessel changes included vascular convergence and/or vessel dilation or distortion within the pGGN. According to the vessel appearances within the pGGN, all patients were categorized into two groups: no change group and change group. Pearson chi-square test was used to analyze the relationships between vessel changes and histopathologic subtypes. Mann-Whitney rank test and t-test were used to identify the relationship of vessels changes with pGGN density and diameter.

RESULTSAmong these 116 pGGNs, there were 21 without vessel changes and 4 with vessel changes in 25 preinvasive lesions; 14 without vessel changes and 15 with vessel changes in 29 minimally invasive adenocacinomas; 16 without vessel changes and 46 with vessel changes in 62 invasive lung adenocarcinomas. There were statistically significant differences of vessel changes (P=0.000) among histopathologic subtypes. The lesion diameter was significantly different between these two groups (P=0.000), while the lesion density showed no significant difference (P=0.826).

CONCLUSIONVessel changes may indicate the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma with pGGNs and are related with the lesion diameter.