Table 1. Clinical characteristics of study population and subpleural lung lesions.
| Variable | Total (N=572) | Small (N=72) | Medium (N=206) | Large (N=294) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | 0.452 | ||||
| Female | 143 (25.0) | 20 (27.8) | 56 (27.2) | 67 (22.8) | |
| Age, years | 74.1±10.8 | 72.3±10.3 | 73.8±11.4 | 74.8±10.5 | 0.184 |
| Number of transthoracic passage | 2.0±0.7 | 1.8±0.2 | 1.9±0.7 | 2.1±0.9 | 0.003* |
| Experience, years | 4.6±2.9 | 4.7±2.9 | 4.4±2.8 | 4.7±3.0 | 0.519 |
| Lesion size, cm | 5.4±2.9 | 1.6±0.4 | 3.6±0.9 | 7.7±2.2 | <0.001* |
| PCL, cm | 4.7±2.8 | 1.3±0.4 | 3.0±1.1 | 6.7±2.5 | <0.001* |
| Final diagnosis | <0.001* | ||||
| Malignancy | 497 (87.5) | 53 (74.6) | 173 (84.8) | 271 (92.5) | |
| Benign | 71 (12.5) | 18 (25.4) | 31 (15.2) | 7.5 (7.5) | |
| Location | <0.001* | ||||
| L | 352 (61.5) | 52 (72.2) | 144 (69.9) | 156 (53.1) | |
| M | 44 (7.7) | 4 (5.6) | 17 (8.3) | 23 (7.8) | |
| U | 176 (30.8) | 16 (22.2) | 45 (21.8) | 115 (39.1) |
Except where otherwise indicated, data are numbered with percentage in parentheses, continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation variables. *, statistically significant. PCL, pleural contact length; L, lower lobes; M, right middle lobe and left lingular segment; U, upper lobes.