Nodule (medicine)

This article is about tissue nodules in medicine. For other uses, see Nodule (disambiguation).
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.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3] In endocrinology, a thyroid nodule is a lump formed by abnormal growth.[4]


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.[5]

Nodules in skin include dermatofibroma[6] and pyogenic granuloma.[7] Nodules may form on tendons and muscles in response to injury,[8] and are frequently found on vocal cords.[9] They may occur in organs such as the lung,[10] or thyroid,[11] or be a sign in other medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.[12]

Characteristics

Nodules are small, firm lumps found in skin and other organs.[13]

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.[5]

Often discovered unintentionally on a chest x-ray, a single nodule in the lung requires assessment to exclude cancer.[10]

Conditions

Nodules may form on tendons and muscles in response to injury,[8] and are frequently found on vocal cords.[9] They occur in conditions including endometriosis,[14] neurofibromatosis,[7] and in rheumatoid arthritis.[12] They may also feature in Kaposi's sarcoma[15] and gonorrhea.[16]

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. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ a b 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.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Dermal and subcutaneous lesions | DermNet NZ". dermnetnz.org. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b 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.
  9. ^ a b "BRITISH VOICE ASSOCIATION: Vocal nodules". www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b 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.
  11. ^ a b Britton, K. E.; Gilday, David L.; Maisey, Michael (2013-12-11). Clinical Nuclear Medicine. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4899-3358-4.
  12. ^ a b "Rheumatoid nodules in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)". NRAS. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. ^ Mosby (2013). Mosby's Medical Dictionary - E-Book. Elsevier. pp. 1235–1236. ISBN 978-0-323-11258-1.
  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.
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