Radiologische Abklärung pulmonaler Rundherde

Abstract

Pulmonary nodules are frequent and in most cases are benign. To avoid both unnecessary follow-up control and overlooked lung carcinomas, the further management should be risk-based. The risk of malignancy is primarily determined by the size of the nodule, but other radiological and non-radiological criteria may also be helpful in assessing the dignity. Recommendations for follow-up control of incidental nodules have been published by the Fleischner Society. For patients with a known malignancy or immunosuppression or in the context of a screening program, these criteria do not apply because of the different risk. In this article, the malignancy criteria of pulmonary nodules are explained, the recommendations of the Fleischner Society are presented, and a brief outlook on a possible lung cancer screening in Germany is given. The aim is to provide a practical guide for the radiological clarification of pulmonary nodules.