Stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma presented as ground glass dominant on thin-section high-resolution CT scan is a special subtype of lung cancer. The characteristics of this subtype are quite different from the other patients, which presented as lower malignancy and better prognosis. Clinical, pathological and imaging studies have revealed that the proportion of the solid component in part-solid ground glass nodule is closely related with the pathological type and the prognosis of lung cancer. The methods for the assessment of the solid components in the ground glass nodule can be classified into three types, including subjective assessment, two dimensional measurement and three dimensional measurement. This review summarized the advantages and the limitations of these three methods. We also reviewed the clinical application of these techniques.
