Current Thoracic Surgery
2022 , Vol 7 , Issue 1
What COVID-19 brings with: incidental solitary pulmonary nodules
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Omer Halisdemir University Training and Research Hospital, Niğde, Turkey
DOI :
10.26663/cts.2022.004
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Background: Thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans for preliminary diagnosis of COVID-19 can
be used as a tool to detect solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs).Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the thoracic CT reports of 5416 patients, aged 45-75, who presented to our hospital with a preliminary diagnosis of COVID-19 in 2020.
Results: Pulmonary nodules/masses were detected in 85 patients. 56 of these were male, and 29 female. 63 patients (74%) had SPNs, 11 (13%) masses, and 11 (13%) multiple nodules. 5 patients were in follow-up for malignancy, and 21 (21%) arrived for follow-up after the detection of nodule/mass. 11 patients died due to pulmonary pathologies.
Conclusions: COVID-19-related concerns have seriously disrupted the follow-up of pulmonary nodules. However, the widespread use of CT serves as a kind of lung cancer screening.
Keywords : COVID, CO-RADS, solitary pulmonary nodules, incidental