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Solitary Pulmonary Nodule (cont.)

Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Causes

Solitary pulmonary nodules may have the following causes:

  • Sarcoma (a tumor made up of connective tissue [usually cancerous])
  • Inflammatory (noninfectious)
    • Arteriovenous malformation (failure of proper or normal development of arteries and veins)


    • Sequestration (a piece of lung tissue that has become separated from the surrounding healthy tissue)


    • Lung cyst (an abnormal sac that contains gas, fluid, or a semisolid material, with a membranous lining)
  • Miscellaneous
  • Pulmonary infarct (death of cells or of a portion of lung, resulting from a sudden insufficiency of arterial or venous blood supply)


  • Round atelectasis (decreased or absent air in a part of the lung)


  • Mucoid impaction (the filling of parts of the lung with mucus)


  • Progressive massive fibrosis (formation of fibrous tissue as a reactive process, as opposed to formation of fibrous tissue as a normal constituent of an organ or tissue)


  • Occasionally, a shadow on the x-ray film may be mistaken for an SPN.



Next: Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Symptoms »

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Solitary Pulmonary Nodule »

Patients with solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are usually asymptomatic; however, SPNs pose a challenge to both physicians and patients.

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