Correlation between high-resolution computed tomography lung nodule characteristics and EGFR mutation in lung adenocarcinomas

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of EGFR mutation on the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) features in lung adenocarcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 121 patients were diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma from January 2014 to December 2016. The correlation of indexes (gender, age, tumor diameter, and EGFR mutation) was analyzed based on the HRCT characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: There were 73 cases of EGFR mutation and 48 cases of wild-type EGFR. One hundred and three cases had pleural indentation that was significant in patients with EGFR mutation than those with wild-type EGFR (P=0.038). Forty-two out of 121 cases exhibited the bronchus cutoff sign. Patients with EGFR mutation were likely to develop the bronchus cutoff sign (P=0.017). Sixty-one out of 121 cases exhibited the lobulation sign, which was significant in patients with EGFR mutation than those with wild-type EGFR (P<0.001). A significant correlation was found between lobulation sign and tumor diameter (P=0.024). Forty-eight out of 121 and 23 out of 121 cases showed the vessel and vacuole signs, respectively. However, patients with EGFR mutation did not exert a significant correlation on either of these signs (P=0.555 and P=0.372, respectively). A statistical significance was not observed in indexes such as age, gender, and tumor diameter on pleural indentation, bronchus cutoff sign, vessel sign, and vacuole sign (P>0.05). Age and gender did not vary significantly in the lobulation sign (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: HRCT characteristics such as pleural indentation, bronchus cutoff sign, and lobulation sign in lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutation were significantly greater than those with wild-type EGFR; however, further study is essential in determining the predictive ability of computed tomography (CT) for EGFR mutations in lung adenocarcinoma.