【Objective】 In this study

we analyzed the preoperative CT staging and postoperative pathological staging for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients complicated with previous pulmonary tuberculosis in order to determine the impact of previous pulmonary tuberculosis on CT evaluation of lymph node staging in NSCLC patients. 【Methods】 We retrospectively analyzed the results of preoperative CT N staging and postoperative pathological staging in 73 NSCLC patients complicated with previous pulmonary tuberculosis. These patients received surgical treatment in our medical center from 24 October 2007 to 25 August 2010. Chi square test was used to identify the possible factors that are associated with the CT prediction of hilar and mediastinal lymph node metastasis. 【Results】 The sensitivity

specificity

positive predictive value

negative predictive value and accuracy for the CT prediction of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients complicated with previous pulmonary tuberculosis was 61.1%

60.0%

33.3%

82.5%

and 60.3%

respectively. The specificity was lower than that for the total population of NSCLC patients (74% ~ 85%). CT evaluation showed high false positive rate and low false negative rate in hilar and mediastinal lymph node metastasis prediction. Univariate analysis showed that the conventional indicators of CT were not significantly associated with hilar and mediastinal lymph node metastasis. 【Conclusions】 Complication with historic pulmonary tuberculosis significantly reduced the specificity of CT N staging in NSCLC patients. The conventional factors of CT for predication were not significantly associated with hilar and mediastinal lymph node metastasis.