Clinical Analysis for Solitary Pulmonary Nodule

고립성 폐결절의 임상적 고찰

The clinical and pathological analysis of solitary pulmonary nodules were estimated in 35 patients with nodules who were surgically resected at the Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Chonnam National University Hospital from July 1978 to Aug. 1989. The results were as follows: 1. Mean age of patients was 43.5 years extending from 11 years to fi7 years old and male to female ratio was 6: l. 2. Preoperative symptoms were complained of dull pain in the chest, cough, hemoptysis and general weakness in 69% of patients. 3. The histopathologic findings of surgically resected nodules showed benign nodule in 51% and malignancy 49%. The most frequent diseases were granuloma[67%] in benign nodules and squamous cell carcinoma[76%] in malignancy. In topographical region of nodules in the lung, benign granuloma was more prevalent in upper lobes, while malignancy was slightly more frequent in lower lobes. 4. The incidence of malignancy by age was extremely rare in patients with less than 35 years old, but in greater than 35 years of age, malignancy comprised up to 67% of patients. 5. Complications of thoracotomy were minor bleedings, wound infections and chest pain not to be required any reoperation except one patient died of sudden onset of arrhythmia after pneumonectomy.