Significance of pulmonary nodules in multi-detector computed tomography scan of noncancerous patients

BACKGROUND Computed tomography (CT) scan is one the most useful devices in chest imaging. CT scan can be used in mediastinal abnormality, lungs, and pleural evaluations. According to the high prevalence and different causes of pulmonary nodules, we designed this study to evaluate the prevalence and the types of pulmonary nodules in noncancerous patients who underwent chest multi-detector CT (MDCT) scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study which was in our hospital to evaluate the prevalence of pulmonary nodules in noncancerous patients who underwent MDCT. A checklist was used for data collection containing number, location, size, and shape of pulmonary nodules if present in CT scan, and we also included patient's age and history of smoking. We analyzed the data with Statistical Program for Social Sciences software (version 18). RESULTS In this study, 115 patients (40%) had a pulmonary nodule. The mean number of a total nodule in each patient was 0.8 ± 0.07. Mean number of intra-parenchymal, sub pleural, and perivascular nodules were 0.34 ± 0.04, 0.31 ± 0.04, and 0.14 ± 0.02, respectively. The mean number of calcified nodules was 0.13 ± 0.02. There was no significant correlation between age and nodule characteristics (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The prevalence of pulmonary nodules was quite frequent in MDCT scan of noncancerous cases. So, it should not be overvalued in noncancerous cases.