Management of the solitary pulmonary nodule: role of thoracoscopy in diagnosis and therapy.

OBJECTIVES The solitary pulmonary nodule remains a common clinical problem. The essential question is whether the lesion is malignant or not. This discussion presents the clinical practice and looks at the problem. DESIGN Didactic. SETTING Academic tertiary-care hospital. PATIENTS Prospective thoracic database. INTERVENTIONS Minimally invasive technique. RESULTS The workup and treatment of the solitary pulmonary nodule is presented with particular emphasis on the role of minimally invasive techniques. A small single-institution series is referenced. CONCLUSIONS The approach is safe and highly effective in diagnosing and often in treating solitary pulmonary nodules.