Solitary Pulmonary Nodule

Solitary Pulmonary Nodule (SPN) describes a well-circumscribed, rounded, smooth-edged, dense pulmonary lesion, three centimeters or less in diameter. Solitary pulmonary nodules can be malignant but is often difficult to evaluate. Because lung cancer is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, a thorough evaluation is critical. This may include careful monitoring with CT scans as well a careful determination for operative removal of SPNs. If a malignant solitary pulmonary nodule is removed early, the prognosis is excellent, with a five year survival rate as high as 70-80%.

U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedLine Plus
The Snowdrift Pulmonary Foundation

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