Coin lesion (lung)

Coin lesion refers to a round or oval, well-circumscribed solitary pulmonary lesion. It is usually 1-5 cm in diameter and calcification may or may not be present ^1,3. Typically but not always the patient is asymptomatic ¹. 

Differential diagnosis

The differential diagnosis for such lesions is  ^1-3:

• malignancy
  • primary lung malignancy
  • metastases
• infection
  • pulmonary tuberculosis
  • Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., or Klebisiella spp. infection
  • hydatid cyst
  • abscess
• benign disease processes
  • granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  • pulmonary hamartoma
  • pulmonary arteriovenous malformation
  • rheumatoid nodule
  • bronchogenic cyst
  • bronchial adenoma

Take care not to call a "pseudo-coin lesion", which are caused by artifacts (e.g. button on patient's clothing, unilateral nipple shadow).

See also

• solitary pulmonary nodule