Rate of Incidental Lung Nodule Follow-Up: A Cohort Study Evaluating Adherence to Guideline Recommendations

Background: Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are commonly identified on imaging studies, and guidelines exist for follow-up. Adherence to guideline recommendations varies. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review at a single center in a metropolitan hospital to identify characteristics of patie...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zein Kattih, Jonathan A Moore, Brandon Wilson, Sravani Gajjala, Jacob Schwartz, Josef Kushner, Sean Zajac, Akhilesh Mahajan, Tungming Leung, Priyanka Makkar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:American Journal of Medicine Open
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667036425000056
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are commonly identified on imaging studies, and guidelines exist for follow-up. Adherence to guideline recommendations varies. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review at a single center in a metropolitan hospital to identify characteristics of patients with lung nodules and determine the rate of follow-up of these patients. A total of 1266 patient records were reviewed, and 341 patients with solitary pulmonary nodules were identified. Results: The presence of emphysema was associated with an increased rate of follow-up with an odds ratio of 1.9. Of the patients with SPNs, 52% do not receive appropriate follow-up. Of the nodules identified, 40% were noted to be enlarged compared to prior imaging. Conclusions: Identification of SPNs requires a standard approach to ensure follow-up for early detection of potential malignancy. Appropriate follow-up allows improvement of the rate of early cancer detection.
ISSN:2667-0364