Pulmonary nodule (patient information)
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Solitary pulmonary nodule |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Mohammed A. Sbeih, M.D. [2] Maria Fernanda Villarreal, M.D. [3]
Overview
- A solitary pulmonary nodule is a round or oval spot (lesion) in the lungs that is seen with a chest x-ray or CT scan.
What are the symptoms of Solitary Pulmonary Nodule?
- There are usually no symptoms.
What causes Solitary Pulmonary Nodule?
- More than half of all solitary pulmonary are noncancerous (benign). Benign nodules have many causes, including old scars and infections.
- Infectious granulomas are the cause of most benign lesions.
- You have a greater risk for developing a solitary pulmonary nodule if you have:
- Tuberculosis or been exposed to TB
- Infectious lung diseases caused by fungus, such as:
- Histoplasmosis
- Coccidioidomycosis
- Cryptococcosis
- Aspergillosis
- However, the above conditions makes it more likely that the solitary pulmonary nodule is noncancerous.
- Young age, history of not smoking, calcium in the lesion, and small lesion size are factors associated with a noncancerous diagnosis.
- Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancerous (malignant) pulmonary nodules.
When to seek urgent medical care?
- A solitary pulmonary nodule is usually found by your health care professional when a chest x-ray is performed for some other reason.
Diagnosis
- A solitary pulmonary nodule is usually found on a chest x-ray. If x-rays repeated over time show the nodule size has remain unchanged for 2 years, it is generally considered benign.
- A chest CT scan is often done to look at a solitary pulmonary nodule in more detail.
- Other tests used to examine a solitary pulmonary nodule may include:
- PET scan
- Percutaneous needle biopsy
- Single-photon emission CT (SPECT) scan
- Skin tests to rule out infectious causes
- Lung biopsy
Treatment options
- Ask your doctor about the risks of a biopsy versus monitoring the size of the nodule with regular x-rays.
- Reasons for a biopsy or removing the nodule may include:
- Smoking
- The nodule size has grown compared to earlier x-rays
- A CT scan suggests the lesion is malignant (cancerous)
Where to find medical care for Solitary Pulmonary Nodule?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Solitary Pulmonary Nodule
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
- The outlook is generally good if the nodule is benign.
- If the nodule does not grow larger over a 2-year period, under most circumstances nothing more need be done. On occasion, the appearance of the nodule on CT scan may warrant continued follow-up.
Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000071.htm