What is a pulmonary nodule?

Dec 23, 2024 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Xiao Ning
Introduction
Pulmonary nodules refer to focal, round or oval-shaped, density-increased solid or subsolid pulmonary shadows with a diameter ≤ 3 cm as seen on chest imaging. Patients should pay attention to maintaining fresh indoor air and avoid exposure to harmful environments such as air pollution and dust. They should also maintain good lifestyle habits, including regular作息 (作息 translates to作息 rhythm or作息 habits, which can be translated as作息 "作息" can be translated as作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息......

In general, pulmonary nodules refer to focal, round or oval-shaped, density-increased solid or subsolid lung shadows on chest imaging, with a diameter ≤3 cm. If discomfort occurs, timely medical consultation is recommended. Detailed analysis is as follows:

According to their size, pulmonary nodules can be classified as: tiny nodules with a diameter <5 mm, small nodules with a diameter of 5-10 mm, and pulmonary nodules with a diameter ≤3 cm. The causes are complex and may be benign, such as infections, inflammation, or vascular abnormalities, or malignant, such as primary lung cancer or metastatic malignancies. Most patients with benign pulmonary nodules do not experience obvious discomfort, while malignant or larger nodules may cause symptoms such as coughing, sputum production, and chest tightness. Once a pulmonary nodule is detected, timely medical consultation is necessary to obtain a definitive diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan by a specialist physician.

Patients should normally maintain fresh indoor air and avoid exposure to air pollution, dust, and other harmful environments. It is also important to maintain healthy lifestyle habits, including regular sleep patterns, appropriate exercise, smoking cessation, and alcohol moderation, to enhance overall physical health and cardiopulmonary function.

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