Correlations Between Computed Tomography Perfusion Enhancement Parameters And Lymph Node Metastasis In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study aims to study the values of computed tomography (CT) perfusion enhancement parameters (CT-PEPs) in predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) of lung cancer. A total of 80 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) underwent CT perfusion scanning. CT-PEPs were calculated according to the time-density curve (TDC) in the first-pass phase, and microvessel density (MVD) was determined to analyze the diagnostic efficacies of MVD and CT-PEPs in evaluating LNM of lung cancer. MVD in the LNM group was higher than that in the non-LNM group [(59.66 +/- 6.82) vs. (49.81 +/- 7.76)/0.74 mm(2), P < 0.05), and the blood volume (BV) of the tumor mass in the LNM group was higher than that in the non-LNM group [(9.00 +/- 3.12) vs. (5.97 +/- 2.76) ml center dot 100 g(-1), t = -4.529, P < 0.05)]. MVD >= 54/0.74 mm(2) or BV >= 7 ml center dot 100 g(-1) had high sensitivity and specificity (83% and 83%; 78% and 83%, respectively) for strongly suggesting the possibility of LNM of lung cancer. Among CT-PEPs, BV could be an important parameter for the preoperative judgment of LNM of lung cancer.