What's going on with the shadow in the left lung?

Lung shadows can be detected through photo examination. The location of this shadow is not specific, and shadows in the left lung are also a type of lung shadow. The shadow in the left lung is usually caused by lung disease, most likely a lung mass or nodule.

1. Lung shadows usually refer to high-density areas in the lung parenchyma found in fluoroscopy, which often appear as masses or nodules on chest X-rays or CT scans. The general standard for a mass is a diameter of more than 4 cm, while a nodule usually refers to a diameter of less than 3 cm. Whether it is a lung mass or a nodule, the most common causes are tuberculosis, infection, and tumor. Regardless of which one it is, many doctors advocate observation after anti-inflammatory treatment. This can delay the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and tumor patients, especially tumors. Anti-inflammatory treatment may shrink the tumor on the surface because there will be varying degrees of inflammation around the tumor, while tuberculosis will prolong the treatment course or lead to serious consequences such as the need for surgery.

2. In addition to the above diseases, congenital developmental abnormalities of the lungs can also lead to lung shadows, but they are generally rare, such as lung cysts, pulmonary hamartomas, pulmonary sequestration, etc. Lung cysts mostly occur in male children and young adults. The chest X-ray film is characterized by single or multiple round thin-walled shadows with clear edges. If the cyst is connected to the bronchus, an air-fluid level will be found in the shadow.

3. If there are shadows in the lungs, the judgment should generally be made based on the location, shape and size of the shadows. The shadows of pneumonia are generally flaky or patchy, covering a larger area. In severe cases, liquid density (i.e. pleural effusion) may even appear at the bottom of both lungs. If you are not good at reading, you can look at how the hospital reports the chest X-ray results. Then you should also pay attention to the current symptoms of your patient. If it is accompanied by fever, cough, and sputum, lung inflammation and infection can basically be diagnosed. If there are severe symptoms such as hemoptysis and heart failure, further detailed examination is needed, and treatment is received according to the results.