title: Outcome of incidentally detected airway nodules.
abstract: Low-dose chest computed tomography (LDCT) screening increased detection of airway nodules. Most nodules appear to be secretions, but pathological lesions may show similar findings. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends repeating LDCT after 1 month and proceeding to bronchoscopy if the nodules persist. However, no reports exist about incidentally detected airway nodules. We investigated the significance of airway nodules detected by LDCT screening.We screened patients with incidental airway nodules detected by LDCT in the Seoul National University Hospital group. The characteristics of computed tomography, bronchoscopy, pathology and clinical findings were analysed.Among 53 036 individuals who underwent LDCT screening, 313 (0.6%) had airway nodules. Of these, 186 (59.4%) were followed-up with chest computed tomography and/or bronchoscopy. Seven (3.8%) cases had significant lesions, including leiomyoma (n=2), endobronchial tuberculosis (n=2), chronic inflammation (n=1), hamartoma (n=1) and benign granuloma (n=1). The remaining 179 lesions were transient, suggesting that they were secretions.The use of LDCT for lung cancer screening demonstrated the low incidence of airway lesions. Most lesions were transient secretions. True pathological lesions were rare, and no malignant lesion was found. The current recommendation of the NCCN guideline is a reasonable approach that can avoid unnecessary bronchoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Deog Kyeom
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Whan
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Se Joong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Il
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea ctlee@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Choon-Taek
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006099:Granuloma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D033162:Incidental Findings; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012107:Research Design; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging