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)
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