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Lung Nodules
A lung (pulmonary) nodule is an abnormal growth that forms in the lung.
What is Lung Nodule?
A lung (pulmonary) nodule is an abnormal growth that forms in a lung. You may have one nodule on the lung or several nodules. Nodules may develop in one lung or both.
Most lung nodules are benign (not cancerous). Rarely, pulmonary nodules are a sign of lung cancer.
Lung nodules show up on imaging scans like X-rays or CT scans. Your doctor may refer to the growth as a spot on the lung, coin lesion or shadow.
Are Lung Nodules Common?
Lung nodules are very common. Up to half of adults who get chest X-rays or CT scans have them.
Are Lung Nodules a sign of lung cancer?
About 95% of lung nodules are benign. Many things can cause benign lung nodules, including infections and scarring. If you have a pulmonary nodule, your healthcare provider may want to perform additional tests to determine the cause and rule out lung cancer.
What are some causes of Lung Nodules?
When an infection or illness inflames lung tissue, a small clump of cells (granuloma) can form. Over time, a granuloma can calcify or harden in the lung, causing a noncancerous lung nodule.
A neoplasm is an abnormal growth of cells in the lung. Neurofibromas are a type of noncancerous neoplasm. Types of malignant (cancerous) neoplasms include lung cancer and carcinoid tumors.
Other causes of noncancerous lung nodules include:
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Air irritants or pollutants.
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Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis.
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Fungal infections like histoplasmosis.
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Respiratory system infections, such as tuberculosis (TB).
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Scar tissue.
What are Ground-Glass Opacity Lung Nodules?
Ground-glass opacity (GGO) nodules in the lung are lesions that appear hazy on computed tomography (CT), without obscuring underlying bronchial structures or pulmonary vessels. Both benign lesions including inflammation, hemorrhage, or focal interstitial fibrosis, and malignancies can present as ground glass nodules. Slow-growing or stable ground-glass opacity nodules indicate the presence of early stage lung cancers or preinvasive lesions
How to treat Lung Nodules with Ground-Glass Opacity (GGO)?
There are no definite guidelines for the treatment of pulmonary nodules with GGO at present. Generally, whether a surgery is performed depends on a regular follow-up of chest CT scan. However, there are no definite guidelines on the timing and method of treatment, so they often depend on the patient’s condition and the physician’s judgment.
Therefore, some physicians also recommend removing the pulmonary nodules with GGO through minimally invasive surgery at early stage. However, if the nodule is located deep in the lung and is not suitable for minimally invasive surgery, the follow-up observation will be continued based on the physician’s judgment.
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