Ground glass shadows are not necessarily cancerous, and the likelihood that they are malignant is 20% to 30%.
Ground glass nodules may also be fibrous lesions in the lungs during treatment of other lung diseases, such as infection, inflammation, or tuberculosis, and require further testing to clarify the cause.
Ground glass shadows of the lungs are a common description reported during physical examination. Since ground glass shadows may mask solid space-occupying lesions in the lungs, ground glass shadows of the lungs are not necessarily cancerous, and the lungs may be diseased with focal fibrosis, resulting in an increase in the lung texture presenting as a ground glass-like image.
If there is a solid component in the ground-glass shadow and its diameter is larger than 8mm, it is necessary to be alert to whether it is malignant. The larger the diameter, the more solid components, the more irregular shape, and the lobar sign are all possibilities of malignancy, which require further examination, observation, timely detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
If the patient has ground glass shadow, it is recommended to go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible to clarify the cause of the disease, and then choose a reasonable treatment plan according to the patient’s condition.