Pulmonary nodule overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
A solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) or coin lesion is a mass in the lung smaller than 3 centimeters in diameter. It can be an incidental finding found in up to 0.2% of chest X-rays[1] and around 1% of CT scans.[2]
The nodule most commonly represents a benign tumor such as a granuloma or hamartoma, but in around 20% of cases it represents a malignant cancer,[2] especially in older adults and smokers. Conversely, 10 to 20% of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed in this way.[2] Thus, the possibility of cancer needs to be excluded through further radiological studies and interventions, possibly including surgical resection. The prognosis depends on the underlying condition.
References
- ↑ Ost D, Fein AM, Feinsilver SH (2003). "Clinical practice. The solitary pulmonary nodule". N. Engl. J. Med. 348 (25): 2535–42. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp012290. PMID 12815140. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Alzahouri K, Velten M, Arveux P, Woronoff-Lemsi MC, Jolly D, Guillemin F (2008). "Management of SPN in France. Pathways for definitive diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule: a multicentre study in 18 French districts". BMC Cancer. 8: 93. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-8-93. PMC 2373300. PMID 18402653.