Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1990-8-13
pubmed:abstractText
The ability of computed tomography (CT) to detect metastatic lesions in adrenal glands was evaluated on 91 autopsied lung cancer patients who died in 11 hospitals in the eastern United States and Canada from January 1983 to February 1988. Abdominal CT scans within 90 days of death were reviewed twice by two radiologists blinded to the autopsy diagnosis. The likelihood of metastatic spread in each adrenal gland was scored on a five-level scale. Histopathologic findings at autopsy were used to establish the presence or absence of metastases. The sensitivity of CT was low. Among 53 adrenal glands with proven metastatic lesions, the proportion with positive CT scans varied from 20.0% to 41.1%, according to the positivity threshold. In contrast, the specificity of CT was high, even at relaxed positivity thresholds, from 84.5% to 99.4%. The relatively low sensitivity of CT to detect adrenal metastatic lesions is explained to a large extent by the lack of substantial structural changes in many adrenal glands found to have metastases at autopsy. With a strongly positive CT scan, the probability of an adrenal metastatic lesion is high, and confirmatory adrenal biopsy may not be needed in patients with adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
0008-543X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
66
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
457-62
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1990
pubmed:articleTitle
Sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography for the detection of adrenal metastatic lesions among 91 autopsied lung cancer patients.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't