How to prevent “ground glass shadow” in the lungs

  Pulmonary “ground glass” lesions are focal cloudy shadows with a mild increase in density on high-resolution CT images of the lung, while the bronchial and vascular bundles within them are still visible. The name “GGO” has also become a common clinical diagnostic name worldwide. According to a large number of literature reports and our experience, “GGO”-like lesions, especially those with solid components, often have developed from precancerous lesions to early lung cancer, because the tumor is not obviously invasive, there are few lymph nodes or bloodstream metastases, and the lesions are often resected with sublobar resection, and the 5-year productivity can reach 100%.  GGO lesions are often early carcinomas with few solid components, and even in conventional open-heart surgery, it is difficult to identify the lesions by direct finger touch, and local excisional biopsies are easily missed. With the active cooperation of the radiology department, pathology department and operating room, our department has carried out CT-guided lung nodule puncture localization technique by taking advantage of a general hospital. After localization, the lesion is surgically removed under thoracoscopy according to the location of the localization needle, and then, according to the intraoperative frozen pathological results, the corresponding standard radical lung cancer surgery or precise focal resection surgery is performed, which not only avoids missing the lesion but also avoids excessive removal of normal lung tissues, which has achieved satisfactory clinical results and has become the technical routine of our thoracic surgery. At present, there are only a few hospitals in Beijing that perform this technique.  Since the surgical effect of early lung cancer is excellent, we suggest people who are prone to lung cancer to have regular high-resolution CT test and regular review if small GGO lesions are found, and if the lesions increase in size or the solid component in the ground glass shadow increases, they must have surgery in time to make a clear diagnosis and obtain the ideal treatment effect.