Guideline on Management of Solitary Pulmonary Nodule

Solid Indeterminate Nodules with a Radiological Stability Suggesting Benignity: A Texture Analysis of Computed Tomography Images Based on the Kurtosis and Skewness of the Nodule Volume Density Histogram

“…Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are masses ≤3 cm surrounded by normal tissue. SPNs are generally asymptomatic and an incidental finding on the imaging results of the chest or upper abdomen [3, 4]. In fact, dozens of diseases might present in the nodular form, including infections such as tuberculosis, benign masses (e.g., hamartomas), and malignancies (e.g., primary or metastatic lung cancer).…”

“…In fact, dozens of diseases might present in the nodular form, including infections such as tuberculosis, benign masses (e.g., hamartomas), and malignancies (e.g., primary or metastatic lung cancer). Unfortunately, a significant proportion of these nodules are classified as indeterminate, with an intermediate density between fat and calcium [3, 5]. For this type of nodule, the clinical stability criteria and risk factors for cancer are particularly important for diagnosis and treatment.…”

“…For this type of nodule, the clinical stability criteria and risk factors for cancer are particularly important for diagnosis and treatment. According to the recommendations of the Fleischner Society, at least 2 years of tomographic follow-up study are required without significant changes to classify the nodule as benign [3–5].…”