Biomedical Letters

CT appearance of solitary pulmonary nodules; differentiating benign and malignant: a review

Regmi Meghna, Wang Pei Jun*

Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China

Abstract

A solitary pulmonary nodule is defined as a single nodule (abnormality) seen on an x-ray or CT scan, that is less than or equal to 3 cm (1 � inches) in diameter and surrounded by normal tissue, and no other signs that might suggest cancer (such as enlarged lymph nodes or a pleural effusion) are present. If a "spot" on the lung is larger than 3 cm it is considered a lung mass. The imaging evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule is complex. Management decisions are based on clinical history, size and appearance of the nodule and feasibility of obtaining a tissue diagnosis. The most reliable imaging features are those that are indicative of benignancy, such as a benign pattern of calcification and periodic follow-up with computed tomography for 2 years showing no growth. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy and core biopsy are important procedures that may obviate surgery (if there is specific benign diagnosis) from the procedure. While using Computed tomography(CT) as diagnostic modality as described in this review, one should strive to not only identify small malignant tumors where resection results in high survival rates but also spare patients with benign disease from undergoing unnecessary surgery. The aim of writing this paper is to review about the CT appearances of solitary pulmonary nodules so that radiologists can master their skills in differentiating benign and malignant nodules.Early detection of small nodules may potentially reduce lung cancer-specific mortality, in time. While one may not be able to establish a diagnosis based solely on the imaging features, the radiologist often plays a major role in the care of patients with Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs).

Keywords: Solitary pulmonary nodules; computed tomography, benign, malignant.

Received May 24, 2015 Revised June 01, 2015 Accepted June 04, 2015

*Correspondence: Wang Pei Jun E-mail: tongjipjwang@vip.sina.com Tel +86 13901690566