MSCT findings of primary Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Abstract

Objectives

To improve diagnostic accuracy of pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) through multi-detector computed tomography (MSCT) findings.

Methods

MSCT findings of 27 histopathologically confirmed PMEC cases were retrospectively analyzed, including the location, size, margin, density, enhancement of the lesion and accompanying signs.

Results

Among the 27 PMEC cases, 6 (6/27, 22.2%) were the large airway pattern, 14 were (14/27, 51.9%) the pulmonary hilum pattern, and 7 (7/27, 26.9%) were the peripheral pattern. Among those 20 cases with central pattern(6 large airway and 14 pulmonary hilum patterns), 6 presented mild enhancement, 4 moderate enhancement, 5 severe enhancement, 5 heterogeneous enhancement, and 3 with calcification. 7 cases with peripheral patterns were presented as solid pulmonary nodules and masses, 3 with severe enhancement, 1 with moderate enhancement and 3 with mild enhancement. Four cases accompanied by lymph nodal metastasis, and 7 cases with distant organ metastasis. Age(t = –3.132, p = 0.005), enlarged lymph node (x² = 9.281, p = 0.005), and distant metastasis(x² = 7.816, p = 0.008) were statistically significant in the low-grade group and high-grade group.

Conclusions

MSCT images of PMEC patients demonstrated some characteristic findings, which would help improve the diagnostic accuracy of the disease.

Keywords:

• Primary Pulmonary Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma
• MSCT
• Lung

Acknowledgments

We would like to express special thanks to the doctors at the radiology department of PLA.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of The First Medical Center of The General Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army. According to the rules of the hospital’s medical ethics committee, this study fulfilled the criteria of exception to the requirements of informed consent.

Consent for publication

Consent to publish has been received from all participants.

Author contributions

YL and MYL equally contributed to the study design, data collection and interpretation, and drafting and revisions of the manuscript. XJ and YNF contributed to the study design, data collection and interpretation and YKN contributed to the drafting and revision of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

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Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors. All relevant data in this study are freely available to any scientist wishing to use them for non-commercial purposes, without breaching participant confidentiality.

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.