A Solitary Pulmonary Nodule (SPN) is a single lung abnormality that is less than 3 cm in diameter. A pulmonary nodule must typically grow to at least 1 cm in diameter before being visible on a chest X-ray.

An SPN is surrounded by normal lung tissue and has no other abnormalities in the lung or nearby lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped structures found throughout the body).

Typically, people with SPNs do not have any symptoms. SPNs are usually discovered by chance on a chest X-ray taken for another reason (referred to as an incidental finding). SPNs are a common abnormality seen on chest X-rays that frequently requires further investigation. Every year, approximately 150,000 cases are discovered as incidental findings on X-rays or CT scans.

The majority of SPNs are benign (noncancerous); however, they may represent an early stage of primary lung cancer or indicate that cancer has metastasized (spread) from another part of the body to the affected lung.

It is critical to determine whether the SPN seen on the chest X-ray or CT scan is benign or malignant (cancerous). Early detection and treatment of early lung cancer that resembles an SPN may be the only way to cure the cancer.

The following conditions can result in solitary pulmonary nodules: A neoplastic (a benign or malignant abnormal growth): Cancer of the lungs; the spread of cancer from other parts of the body to the lung is known as metastasis. Lymphoma (tumour composed of lymphoid tissue); Carcinoid (a small, slow-growing tumour with the potential to spread); Hamartoma (an abnormal mass of poorly organised normal tissues); Fibroma is a fibrous connective tissue tumour. Neurofibroma (a noncancerous tumour consisting primarily of nerve fibres); Blastoma (a tumour consisting primarily of immature, undifferentiated cells); Sarcoma (a connective tissue tumour that is usually cancerous); Bacterial contamination: Nocardiosis or tuberculosis; Fungi infections include histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, and cryptococcosis.

The majority of people with SPN do not have any symptoms. In most cases, an SPN is discovered by chance.

On a chest X-ray, an early lung cancer often appears as an SPN. As a result, the goal of investigating an SPN is to distinguish a benign growth from a malignant growth as quickly and accurately as possible.

SPNs should be regarded as potentially carcinogenic until proven otherwise.

People should always communicate their history and risk factors to their health care provider in an open and honest manner. Your treatment plan is determined by your personal risk that the SPN is cancerous. This is heavily influenced by age, exposures, and family history.

In patients with (1) a moderate-to-high risk of cancer and clinical signs indicating that the nodule is malignant, or (2) a nodule whose malignancy status cannot be determined even after a biopsy, the SPN may be surgically removed.

SPN is surgically removed through thoracotomy (open lung surgery) or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Thoracotomy is a surgical procedure that involves making a cut in the chest wall and removing small wedges of lung tissue. Patients who undergo this procedure are usually required to stay in the hospital for several days following the procedure. A thoracoscope (a flexible, lighted tube with a tiny camera at the end) is inserted into the chest through a small cut in the chest wall to perform video-assisted thoracoscopy. The image is displayed on a TV screen by the camera, and the surgeon uses the display to guide the operation. It has a shorter recovery time and a smaller incision than a thoracotomy.

Avoiding the potential causes may aid in the prevention of SPN formation. Traveling to areas with a high prevalence of mycosis (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis) or tuberculosis is another possible avoidable cause. Occupational exposure to lung cancer risk factors (asbestos, radon, nickel, chromium, vinyl chloride, polycyclic hydrocarbons, etc.)