Intrapulmonary lymph nodes.
We report two cases of intrapulmonary lymph nodes detected by a chest roentgenogram or CT scan. The first patient was a 61-year-old fisherman referred complaining of cough and hemosputum. Chest roentgenogram showed a subpleural small nodular shadow at the superior segment of the right lower lobe. Thoracotomy showed a small anthracotic lymph node. The other case was a 68-year-old female patient admitted for further examination of a subpleural small nodular shadow at the latero-basal segment of the left lower lobe detected on a chest CT scan. Thoracoscopic surgery revealed that the black nodule was an anthracotic lymph node. The appearance of an intrapulmonary lymph node on radiological examination is rare, however, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a solitary or multiple peripheral pulmonary nodules in adults. A small nodular shadow should be resected if malignancy is suspected though not proven. Subpleural intrapulmonary lymph node warrants thoracoscopic surgery.
Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki City Hospital.
A
A
Kinoshita
M
M
Nakano
N
N
Suyama
K
K
Inoue
T
T
Nakata
S
S
Fujimoto
K
K
Shigematsu
M
M
Oka
K
K
Hara
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed