Nodule (medicine)

Nodule
Nodules: may appear on the surface of the skin or beneath it[1]
SpecialtyDermatology
SymptomsSmall firm lump in skin[2]

A nodule is a small firm lump that is typically larger than 0.5cm or 1 cm in diameter, and may appear on the surface of the skin or beneath it, at varying depths.[3][4] Other than its size, it is similar to a papule.[2] If filled with fluid it is referred to as a cyst.[1] An hemangioma is a large nodule filled with blood vessels.[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]

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.[13]

Definition

Nodules are small firm lumps usually greater than 1 cm in diameter, found in skin and other organs.[4][1] If filled with fluid they are usually softer and referred to as cysts.[1]

Differential diagnosis

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] neurofibomatosis,[7] and in rheumatoid arthritis.[12] They may also feature in Kaposi's sarcoma[15] and gonorrhea.[16]

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.[13]

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

Reference

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oakley, Amanda. "Terminology in dermatology | DermNet NZ". dermnetnz.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 James, William D.; Elston, Dirk; Treat, James R.; Rosenbach, Misha A.; Neuhaus, Isaac (2020). "2. Cutaneous signs and diagnosis". Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (13th ed.). Elsevier. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-323-54753-6.
  3. ↑ Hopcroft, Keith; Forte, Vincent (2020). "Skin: nodules". Symptom Sorter. Boca Raton: CRC Press. pp. 408–410. ISBN 978-0-367-46810-1. Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  4. 1 2 Mosby (2013). Mosby's Medical Dictionary - E-Book. Elsevier. pp. 1235–1236. ISBN 978-0-323-11258-1. Archived from the original on 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  5. ↑ Morris-Jones, Rachael (2019). "1. Introduction". In Morris-Jones, Rachael (ed.). ABC of Dermatology (7th ed.). Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-119-48899-6. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  6. 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. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dermal and subcutaneous lesions | DermNet NZ". dermnetnz.org. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. 1 2 Ashton-Miller, James A. (1999). "Response of Muscle and Tendon to Injury and Overuse". National Academies Press (US). Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. 1 2 "BRITISH VOICE ASSOCIATION : Vocal nodules". www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  10. 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. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  11. 1 2 Britton, K. E.; Gilday, David L.; Maisey, Michael (2013-12-11). Clinical Nuclear Medicine. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4899-3358-4. Archived from the original on 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  12. 1 2 "Rheumatoid nodules in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)". NRAS. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. 1 2 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. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  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. 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. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  17. ↑ "New York Thyroid Center: Thyroid Nodules". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17.
  18. ↑ Ost D, Fein AM, Feinsilver SH; Fein; Feinsilver (June 2003). "Clinical practice. The solitary pulmonary nodule". New England Journal of Medicine. 348 (25): 2535–42. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp012290. PMID 12815140.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
This article is issued from Offline. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.