BACKGROUND: To assess the utility of HRCT in the evaluation of visceral pleural invasion and to determine whether visceral pleural invasion and bronchovascular bundle thickening on the same lobe could be related to the recurrence and survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHOD: Eighty one patients, which were fulfilled long-term follow-up at least 18 months (maximum 103 months) among which 434 patients had underwent curative surgical resection for NSCLC from 1986 to 1995, were studied. They were analyzed to evaluate whether the prognostic factors such as the recurrence and survival depend on visceral pleural invasion and bronchovascular bundle thickening to the same lobe. Thirty two patients adjacent to a chest wall or a fissure were evaluated for visceral pleural invasion by HRCT. CT criteria included abutting pleura along the chest wall, abutting and/or compressing fissure, crossing fissure, and pleural tail. RESULTS: The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value of crossing fissure were 100% and 100%, respectively. Two patients showing spiculated interface between a mass and abutting fissure were confirmed to have visceral pleural invasion at surgery. Visceral pleural invasion confirmed at surgery was significant to local recurrence and survival (p<.05, p<.05, respectively). Brochovascular bundle thickening to the same lobe on CT scan was significant to survival (p<.05) but was not significant to local and distant recurrence (p>.05). CONCLUSION: Visceral pleural invasion and bronchovascular bundle thickening to the same lobe have a role in predicting prognosis such as recurrence and survival in NSCLC. Therefore, the analysis of visceral pleural invasion on CT scan and the pathological analysis of bronchovascular bundle thickening to the same lobe may be necessary to predict the prognosis in NSCLC.