Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Neoplasia, Education and training, Cancer, Structured reporting, Screening, Education, PET-CT, CT, Thorax, Oncology, Lung
Authors:
R. Silini, C. Fink; Celle/DE
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-1504
Findings and procedure details
There are three types of pulmonary nodules: solid,
subsolid and groundglas.
Depending on the type,
size,
multiplicity and the risk factors of the patient,
the management decision differs referring to the Fleischner Guidelines Fig.
1.
The sign of the corona radiata or spiculated margins is very evocative of malignancy Fig.
2.
It is important to detect an obstruction of lung vessels and bronchi,
which is highly suggestive of malignancy; however some rare tumors,
like lymphoma,
may respect vessels Fig.
3.
Other aspects of the nodule,
like the calcifications,
should be studied.
Mostly calcifications are related to granulomatous disease or hamartoma Fig.
4,
but rare tumors,
like osteosarcoma or chondrosarcoma,
can also be calcified.
Finally,
the evolutionary aspect is one of the main factors in predicting benignancy or malignancy of a nodule.
A rapidly growing nodule is suspected of being malignant.