The solitary pulmonary nodule is a common finding that is observed in more than 150,000 persons each year in the United States. Factors influencing probability of malignancy are discussed, including age and environmental factors. Investigative studies are described. Imaging includes chest radiography, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. Biopsy can be excisional or performed via transthoracic needle or bronchoscopy. The differential diagnosis is broad and can include malignant or benign lesions. Malignant lesions include nonsmall cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors, and metastatic malignancies. Benign lesions can include pulmonary hamartoma or inflammatory or infectious nodules. Few, if any, randomized controlled trials exist to direct management. Most clinicians rely on a combination of single-institution studies, a few prospective trials, and clinical acumen to assess a given patient's risk profile to inform decisions on invasive and noninvasive testing. In this review, the tables describe the differential diagnosis of a solitary pulmonary nodule, factors affecting malignant probability of a solitary pulmonary nodule, and the initial assessment of probability of cancer in a solitary pulmonary nodule.
This review contains 5 figures, 4 tables, and 73 references.
Key Words: bronchoscopy, compute tomography, lung cancer, nodule, positron emission tomography, solitary
Diagnostic performance of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the management of solitary pulmonary nodule: a meta-analysis
