Purpose: To evaluate computed tomography (CT) features and establish a predictive model for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC).
Method: From January 2010 to December 2018, 82 patients with tracheal tumors, including 46 patients with ACC confirmed by surgery and histopathology, were enrolled in this study. These patients' clinicopathologic information, CT features and survival outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Independent predictors of diagnosis and prognosis of tracheal ACC were determined by both univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results: Compared with tracheal non-ACC patients, univariate analysis showed that ACC patients were more likely to have extensive longitudinal length (p < 0.001) and to appear as annular wall thickening (p = 0.001), transmural growth (p = 0.036), poorly defined border (p = 0.003) and mild enhancement (p = 0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that longitudinal length and enhancement degree were independent predictors of tracheal ACC. The 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) were 75.7 % and 64.5 %, respectively. Longitudinal length (≥ 34 mm), transverse length (≥ 20 mm) and transmural growth were associated with poor DFS in univariate analysis. After multivariate adjustment, only transverse length (≥ 20 mm) was an adverse prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio = 4.594, 95 % confidence interval = 1.240-17.017; p = 0.022).
Conclusions: CT longitudinal length and enhancement degree of tumors showed satisfactory discrimination for tracheal ACC. Excessive CT transverse length might be an unfavorable indicator for ACC recurrence and could be helpful for predicting the survival outcomes of ACC at the initial diagnosis.
Keywords: Adenoid cystic carcinoma; Computed tomography; Prediction model; Survival; Trachea.
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