Lung Nodule

Lung nodules refer to localized shadows or masses in the lungs with a diameter of less than 3 cm. They are often asymptomatic and are usually discovered incidentally during health check-ups or imaging studies. However, in some instances, patients may experience the following symptoms:

• Cough: Persistent dry cough or cough with a small amount of sputum.
• Chest Pain: Localized discomfort or dull pain.
• Hemoptysis (Coughing up Blood): Some malignant nodules can cause blood in the sputum.
• Shortness of Breath: Occurs when the nodule is large or compresses the bronchi.

Based on the nature and imaging characteristics, lung nodules can be classified as follows:

（1）Classification by Nature

1. Benign Nodules: Commonly caused by inflammation, infection, tuberculosis, or benign tumours (e.g., hamartoma).
2. Malignant Nodules: May indicate lung cancer or other malignant lesions.

（2）Classification by Imaging Characteristics

1. Solid Nodules: Nodules with uniform and higher internal density and complete obscure the underlying lung markings.
2. Part-Solid Nodules: Nodules containing both solid components and ground-glass opacity.
3. Pure Ground-Glass Nodules (GGN): Nodules that appear hazy and translucent.

（3）Classification by possibility of malignancy

1. Low-risk Nodule：risk of malignancy <5%
2. Intermediate-risk Nodule：risk of malignancy 5-65%
3. High-risk Nodule：risk of malignancy >65%

The treatment plan depends on the size, nature, and pathological results of the nodule.