Nodule (medicine)

Nodule
SpecialtyPathology

In medicine, a nodule is a small, discrete lump or growth that is different from surrounding tissue. They are often detected by medical imaging and can be either benign or malignant.

Definitions vary by medical specialty. In dermatology, nodules are usually greater than 1 cm in diameter, in contrast to raised, soft bumps of less than 1 cm, which are termed papules, and to cysts, which contain fluid. In pulmonology, when imaging the lungs by radiography, a nodule is a round, focal opacity in the lung tissue of less than 3 cm in diameter, with lesions larger than that instead termed masses. In endocrinology, a thyroid nodule is a lump formed by abnormal growth.


Nodules in skin include dermatofibroma and pyogenic granuloma. Nodules may form on tendons and muscles in response to injury, and are frequently found on vocal cords. They may occur in organs such as the lung, or thyroid, or be a sign in other medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Characteristics

Nodules are small, firm lumps found in skin and other organs.

Evaluation

The evaluation of a skin nodule includes a description of its appearance, its location, how it feels to touch and any associated symptoms which may give clues to an underlying medical condition.

Often discovered unintentionally on a chest x-ray, a single nodule in the lung requires assessment to exclude cancer.

Conditions

Nodules may form on tendons and muscles in response to injury, and are frequently found on vocal cords. They occur in conditions including endometriosis, neurofibromatosis, and in rheumatoid arthritis. They may also feature in Kaposi's sarcoma and gonorrhea.

Other examples

References

  1. ↑ "Nodule Definition – NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms". National Cancer Institute. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  2. ↑ "Terminology in dermatology – Nodule". DermNet NZ. Retrieved 2026-01-06. Nodule — elevated, solid, palpable lesion > 1 cm usually located primarily in the dermis and subcutis.
  3. ↑ "Solitary Pulmonary Nodule – StatPearls". NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved 2026-01-06. A solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) represents a discrete, rounded opacity within the lung parenchyma that is <3 cm in diameter.
  4. ↑ "Thyroid Nodules – American Thyroid Association". American Thyroid Association. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  5. 1 2 Linton, Christina P. (March 2011). "Essential Morphologic Terms and Definitions". Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association. 3 (2): 102–103. doi:10.1097/JDN.0b013e318211c6f0. ISSN 1945-760X.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dermal and subcutaneous lesions | DermNet NZ". dermnetnz.org. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  7. 1 2 Ashton-Miller, James A. (11 April 1999). "III: Workshop Papers". Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Report, Workshop Summary, and Workshop Papers. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Response of Muscle and Tendon to Injury and Overuse. ISBN 0-309-06397-3. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. 1 2 "BRITISH VOICE ASSOCIATION: Vocal nodules". www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 Kikano, George E.; Fabien, Andre; Schilz, Robert (15 December 2015). "Evaluation of the Solitary Pulmonary Nodule". American Family Physician. 92 (12): 1084–1091. ISSN 0002-838X. PMID 26760594. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  10. 1 2 Britton, K. E.; Gilday, David L.; Maisey, Michael (2013-12-11). Clinical Nuclear Medicine. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4899-3358-4.
  11. 1 2 "Rheumatoid nodules in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)". NRAS. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  12. ↑ Mosby (2013). Mosby's Medical Dictionary - E-Book. Elsevier. pp. 1235–1236. ISBN 978-0-323-11258-1.
  13. ↑ Evangelisto, Amy; Werth, Victoria; Schumacher, H. Ralph (October 2006). "What is that nodule? A diagnostic approach to evaluating subcutaneous and cutaneous nodules". Journal of Clinical Rheumatology: Practical Reports on Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Diseases. 12 (5): 230–240. doi:10.1097/01.rhu.0000240034.72958.2f. ISSN 1076-1608. PMID 17023809.
  14. ↑ Nisenblat V, Bossuyt PM, Farquhar C, Johnson N, Hull ML (February 2016). "Imaging modalities for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016 (2) CD009591. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd009591.pub2. PMC 7100540. PMID 26919512. painful palpable nodules
  15. ↑ Massi, Daniela; Luzar, Boštjan; Alos, Llucia (2016). "15. Common skin tumours of the head and neck". In Cardesa, Antonio; Slootweg, Pieter J.; Gale, Nina; Franchi, Alessandro (eds.). Pathology of the Head and Neck. Springer. p. 737. ISBN 978-3-662-49670-1.
  16. ↑ Berg, Dale; Worzala, Katherine (2006). "3. Female genitourinary examination". Atlas of Adult Physical Diagnosis. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-7817-4190-3.
  17. ↑ "New York Thyroid Center: Thyroid Nodules". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17.
  18. ↑ Ost, David; Fein, Alan M.; Feinsilver, Steven H. (June 2003). "Clinical practice. The solitary pulmonary nodule". New England Journal of Medicine. 348 (25): 2535–42. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp012290. PMID 12815140.