CHARACTERISTICS OF REGIONS SUSPICIOUS FOR PULMONARY NODULES AT CHEST RADIOGRAPHY

Rationale and Objectives. This study was performed to determine physic al characteristics of areas on chest radiographs that are suspicious b ut not definitive for the presence of a pulmonary nodule and the chara cteristics of areas that contain an obvious nodule. Materials and Meth ods. Two groups of patients were identified: those who had an area at plain radiography that was suspicious for a pulmonary nodule and under went fluoroscopy for further evaluation (138 patients, 142 areas)and t hose who had an obvious nodule at plain radiography who underwent comp uted tomography for further evaluation (72 patients, 97 areas). The me asured characteristics of the region of interest included size, circul arity, compactness, contrast, and location. Results. A comparison of t he data show that while there was some difference between these groups of patients with regard to location of the nodules, there were essent ially no differences with regard to size, circularity, corn compactnes s, and contrast of the regions of interest. Conclusion. Size, circular ity, compactness, contrast, and location are not sufficient to disting uish pulmonary nodules from other suspicious regions on the chest radi ograph.