What is the definition of pulmonary nodules

Pulmonary nodules are a very common lung disease. After suffering from this disease, shadows will generally be found in the lungs. Some patients may suspect that they have lung cancer after discovering shadows in their lungs. In fact, this is not necessary at all, because there are many diseases that cause lung shadows, and lung nodules are one of them. This disease is generally benign. You just need to go to the hospital for regular checkups and follow the doctor's instructions to take some treatment and rehabilitation measures. However, there is a certain probability that lung nodules will worsen. In this case, patients need to go to the hospital for treatment in time, the sooner the better! Below, we will introduce in detail the definition, misunderstandings and precautions of lung nodules.

I. Definition

More than 90% of cases involve the chest, often invading the bilateral hilar lymph nodes and lungs. Its clinical manifestations are diverse and lack typicality. Chest X-rays and conventional CT scans reveal enlarged hilum of the lungs. High-resolution CT (HRCT) can further reveal details of mediastinal lymphadenopathy and pulmonary lesions, and can clearly indicate the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Combined with clinical and biopsy examinations, the diagnosis rate can be greatly improved.

2. Misunderstandings

Many patients suspect they have lung cancer as soon as they find shadows (nodules) in their lungs, which causes them to become highly mentally and physically tense and lead to many unnecessary problems. Generally speaking, diseases that manifest as "lung shadows" include lung cancer, congenital lung malformations, and more common lung infectious diseases, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary aspergillosis, etc.

By understanding the common causes of lung shadows above, you can find that "lung shadows (small nodules)" does not necessarily mean lung cancer. There are many benign diseases that can also manifest as small nodules.

Therefore, once patients find small lung nodules, they do not need to be overly nervous, but should actively seek out specialists such as thoracic surgery for a clear diagnosis. The doctor will use other auxiliary examination methods based on the patient's specific situation, such as chest CT, fiber bronchoscope, CT-guided puncture, sputum cell examination, etc. to further clarify the diagnosis.

3. Notes

It is generally not easy to characterize nodules, so regular follow-up examinations are necessary to comprehensively judge the nature of the lesions based on the medical history. If the nodule does not change or becomes smaller or even disappears after a long period of reexamination, it means that the patient has no problem; but if the lesion is found to be larger during reexamination, especially in a short period of time, it means that it is not benign and must be treated in time!