A nodule on the lung is a small pulmonary nodule. Lung nodules are imaging such as CT findings of high-density shadows ≤30 mm in diameter with clear borders, single or multiple, round or round-like in morphology, and not associated with lymph node enlargement or pulmonary atelectasis.
Lung nodules <5 mm in diameter were considered micronodules, and 5-10 mm in diameter were considered small nodules. Lung nodules are often classified as inflammatory nodules, tuberculosis balls, inflammatory pseudotumors, lung tumors, malignant tumors and so on according to their etiology.
1. Inflammatory lung nodules: they can be the round or oval hyperdense shadow with clear boundary, multiple and single, and the morphology of acute infection, or the granulomatous lesion formed after the mechanization of chronic infection, as shown by CT.
2. Tuberculosis ball: caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, the image shows clear boundary with cavities, peritoneum and calcification, mostly single hypodense shadow, with round or round-like shape.
3. Inflammatory pseudotumor: it is a mass formed by overgrowth of tissues caused by chronic inflammation, chest CT shows clear boundary and glass change, the site is fixed, mostly single, and the morphology can be various.
4. Lung tumor: early lung adenocarcinoma, no obvious discomfort symptoms, nodule diameter >8mm, solitary, and the morphology can be seen as lobulation and burr signs.
5. Staggered tumor: mostly benign, caused by the wrong overgrowth of lung tissues; basically asymptomatic, with clear imaging boundaries, mostly solitary, round and oval in shape, accompanied by lobulated and burr-free, with typical manifestations of popcorn-like calcification.
There are other causes of pulmonary nodules, such as nodular disease, pulmonary hemangioma, fibroma, etc. It is recommended that patients go to regular hospitals for timely diagnosis and treatment, and give targeted diagnosis and treatment.