Solitary pulmonary nodule
Updates to Article Attributes
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was changed:
Solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) is defined as a relatively well defined round or oval pulmonary parenchymal lesion equal or smaller than 30 mm in diameter. It is surrounded by pulmonary parenchyma and/or visceral pleura and is not associated with lymphadenopathy, atelectasis, or pneumonia 9.
Questions to ask when you want to approach a solitary pulmonary nodule :
- is the lesion solitary?
- is it intrapulmonary?
- is the lesion a nodule?
- should be a discrete round oval opacity 4-30 mm in diameter; a lesion >30mm is defined as a mass, not a nodule
- should not be linear or angular
Differential diagnosis
There are many causes of solitary pulmonary nodules, including:
- neoplastic
-
inflammatory
- granuloma
- lung abscess
- rheumatoid nodule
- pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumour: plasma cell granuloma
- small focus of pneumonia: round pneumonia
- congenital
-
miscellaneous
- pulmonary infarct
- intrapulmonary lymph node
- mucoid impaction
- pulmonary haematoma
- pulmonary amyloidosis
- normal confluence of pulmonary veins
Mimics
- nipple shadow
- cutaneous lesion (e.g. wart, mole)
- rib fracture or other bone lesion
- vanishing pseudotumour of congestive heart failure
- summation of markings
- artifact
See also
- +<li>
- +<a title="primary pulmonary meningioma" href="/articles/primary-pulmonary-meningioma">primary pulmonary meningioma</a> - rare</li>
-<li><a href="/articles/intrapulmonary-lymph-nodes">intrapulmonary lymph node</a></li>- +<li><a href="/articles/intrapulmonary-lymph-nodes-1">intrapulmonary lymph node</a></li>
-<li><a title="Localised pulmonary haemorrhage" href="/articles/localised-pulmonary-haemorrhage">pulmonary haematoma</a></li>- +<li><a href="/articles/localised-pulmonary-haemorrhage">pulmonary haematoma</a></li>