Application effect of low-dose spiral CT on pulmonary nodules and its diagnostic value for benign and malignant nodules

Objective: This study was designed to determine the application effect of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) on detecting pulmonary nodules (PNs) and its diagnostic value for benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Methods: Data of 432 patients with PNs admitted to Julu County Hospital between March 2018 and June 2021 in were collected and analysed retrospectively. All patients underwent LDCT and conventional-dose spiral computed tomography (CT). The detection rate and image characteristics of the two methods were compared, and the image quality and radiation dose of the two diagnostic methods were also compared. Results: No significant difference was found between LDCT and conventional-dose spiral CT in the detection rate of lung cancer (P > 0.05). The area under the curve of conventional-dose CT was 0.932, with a specificity and sensitivity of 93.87% and 92.45%, and the area under the curve of LDCT was 0.902, with a specificity and sensitivity of 90.80% and 89.62%. The radiation dose consumed during LDCT was greatly less than that consumed by conventional-dose CT (P < 0.05). Additionally, the two methods were not different in CT image quality and superior vena cava artifact (P > 0.05). No notable difference was found between LDCT and conventional-dose CT in terms of the diagnosis rate of PNs in vascular aggregation sign, pleural indentation sign, lobulation sign and spiculation sign. Conclusion: LDCT can clearly show the typical images of early lung cancer, with less effective radiation dose, and can thus contribute to a high detection rate, so it is worth popularizing.