Current status of surgical diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary malignant ground glass nodules

Abstract

In recent years, with the development of imaging technology, more and more ground-glass Nodule (GGN) in the lungs have been discovered. After GGN is detected, it should be further judged whether it is benign or malignant by combining with existing inspection methods. Common diagnostic and examination methods include PET/CT, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, CT-guided puncture biopsy and High Resolution CT (HRCT), each of them with its own advantages and disadvantages. For GGN with high malignant risk, minimally invasive surgical intervention is needed to prevent the progress of the disease. The hot issues of surgical treatment include the selection of minimally invasive surgical methods, the precise positioning of GGN in the lung, the accuracy and limitations of intraoperative freezing examination, lymph node dissection of GGN, and postoperative follow-up of malignant GGN diagnosed as cancer. Under the premise that surgical diagnosis and treatment play an increasingly important role in the management of GGN, this paper will review the existing GGN related studies and make a summary of the surgical diagnosis and treatment of malignant GGN.