What is Ground-Glass Opacity (GGO)?
Also written as：GGO ／ ground-glass shadow
Ground-glass opacity (GGO) is a general term for faint, hazy areas on chest CT that resemble frosted glass. They are often benign — such as traces of past inflammation or infection — but a small proportion may represent early-stage lung cancer. Depending on the size and any changes over time, follow-up observation or further diagnostic workup may be recommended.
How to interpret an out-of-range result
If a GGO is identified, follow-up CT at an appropriate interval is typically arranged to monitor for any changes, based on the size and characteristics of the opacity. It is standard practice not to determine whether a finding is benign or malignant from imaging alone, but rather to observe it over time.