Subpleural nodules differ from pulmonary nodules in terms of growth location, cause, symptoms, and treatment.
1. Location: Subpleural nodules grow on the surface of the pleura, while pulmonary nodules grow in the lung parenchyma or interstitium.
2. Etiology: Subpleural nodules may be caused by inflammation, tumor, tuberculosis, etc. Malignant pleural mesothelioma cannot be excluded, but its incidence is relatively low. Lung nodules may be caused by infection, inflammation, benign tumors, pulmonary vascular anomalies, primary lung cancer and metastatic malignant tumors, etc., and their malignant possibility is higher than that of subpleural nodules.
3. Symptoms: subpleural nodule is usually less than 3cm, and there may be chest pain, low fever, chills, cough and other symptoms; lung nodule is usually less than 3cm, there is no obvious clinical symptom, and when it is larger than 1cm, it may be manifested as coughing, chest pain, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and low-grade fever and other systemic symptoms.
4. Therapeutic: subpleural nodules less than 1cm asymptomatic need only regular follow-up without treatment, there is the possibility of self-resolving, if the nodule gradually increase can be considered malignant may be taken into account, to take appropriate therapeutic measures, such as surgery or radiotherapy, etc.; lung nodules according to its size, symptoms and nature of the appropriate treatment, such as medication, surgical resection or radiotherapy, etc., but the possibility of its self-resolving a little less.
In short, no matter what kind of nodule we need to pay attention to, when the above similar symptoms continue not to relieve should be timely medical treatment, so as to avoid delaying the condition.