[Insidious aspects of small pulmonary coin lesions].
After his girl friend had been diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis, a 45-year old male was referred to rule out transmission of this disease. The chest x-ray showed no signs of tuberculosis, however a small retrosternal lung nodule was found on the lateral film. Three months later, the nodule showed an increase in size and a CT of the chest was performed: No nodule could be found in the expected retrosternal location, but incidentally a small nodule in the right upper lobe was identified. This nodule could retrospectively be identified on the previous chest X-rays, its size had been increasing. After surgical removal, the lesion was diagnosed to be an adenocarcinoma T1, N0, M0. Careful follow-up of small intrapulmonary nodules detected on chest X-rays is highly advisable, especially in smokers of middle and older age bronchial carcinoma and therefore a straight forward approach with excision of the nodule should be considered. Nodules have to be surgically removed if an increase in size can be noted.
van der Hoef
M
M
Departement für Radiologie und Departement für Innere Medizin, Universitätsspital Zürich.
Capaul
R
R
Krayenbühl
P
P
Steurer-Stey
C
C
Schulthess
G
G
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission