The Asymptomatic Isolated Pulmonary Nodule

Abstract

INCREASINGLY frequent reports^{1 , 2} in the literature have emphasized the striking prevalence of malignant neoplasms among solitary pulmonary lesions. Such a frequency is not surprising, but it is not so widely known that these lesions may be completely asymptomatic even though malignant. Bugden,³ Sharp and Kinsella,⁴ Effler⁵ and Storey, Grant and Rothmann⁶ have called attention to this fact. They have all recommended exploratory thoracotomy when accepted measures have failed to establish a diagnosis.DefinitionThe series described below includes 77 cases of asymptomatic pulmonary shadows from the records of the Massachusetts General Hospital from October 1, 1947, through October 1, 1954, . . .