Objective: To describe the clinical and radiological features of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.
Methods: Data of 1 050 inpatients of lung cancer, including 50 cases of pathology-proven bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, diagnosed in our hospital between 1993 and 2003, were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical information of all the patients and the HRCT findings of 31 cases of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma were analyzed.
Results: There was a female predominance (60%) in the 50 patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Cough was the most common presenting symptom (20/50). Twenty-four patients sought medical attention because of abnormal chest X-rays, most of which were of nodular type at the early stage. Twenty patients were completely asymptomatic at presentation. Out of the 31 cases with HRCT, eight were of the miliary type. "Bubble-like lucency" and calcifications inside nodules were present in 7 cases respectively out of the 11 cases of the nodular type. There were 9 cases each with low attenuation consolidation, pseudocavities, reticular shadowing and ground-glass opacities. The signs of "crazy paving" and "CT angiogram sign" (distinct vasculature at the background of low-attenuated consolidation at the peak of contrast scanning) were found in 2 cases.
Conclusions: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma accounted for 4.76% of lung carcinoma in our series, with a female predominance. High prevalence of asymptomatic patients at presentation and unusual long course should prompt regular chest X-ray examination. The characteristics of HRCT findings are very helpful in its diagnosis and differential diagnosis.