In medicine, nodules are small firm lumps, usually greater than 1 cm in diameter. If filled with fluid they are referred to as

cysts A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct envelope and division compared with the nearby tissue. Hence, it is a cluster of cells that have grouped together to form a sac (like the manner in which water molecules group together to form a bubble) ...

. Smaller (less than 0.5 cm) raised soft tissue bumps may be termed papules. 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. Nodules in skin include

dermatofibroma A dermatofibroma, or benign fibrous histiocytomas, is a benign nodule in the skin, typically on the legs, elbows or chest of an adult. It is usually painless. It usually ranges from 0.2cm to 2cm in size but larger examples have been reported. It ...

and pyogenic granuloma. Nodules may form on tendons and

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...

s in response to injury, and are frequently found on vocal cords. They may occur in organs such as the

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

, or thyroid, or be a sign in other medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Characteristics

Nodules are small firm lumps usually greater than 1 cm in diameter, found in skin and other organs. If filled with fluid they are usually softer and referred to as

. Smaller (less than 0.5 cm) raised soft tissue bumps may be termed papules.

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. Often discovered unintentionally on a chest x-ray, a single nodule in the lung requires assessment to exclude cancer.

Conditions

Nodules may form on tendons and

s in response to injury, and are frequently found on vocal cords, They occur in conditions including

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

neurofibromatosis Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a group of three conditions in which tumors grow in the nervous system. The three types are neurofibromatosis type I (NF1), neurofibromatosis type II Neurofibromatosis type II (also known as MISME syndrome – multi ...

, and in rheumatoid arthritis. They may also feature in Kaposi's sarcoma and gonorrhea.

Other examples

File:Dermatofibroma new image to help in diagnosis.jpg,

Dermatofibroma A dermatofibroma, or benign fibrous histiocytomas, is a benign nodule in the skin, typically on the legs, elbows or chest of an adult. It is usually painless. It usually ranges from 0.2cm to 2cm in size but larger examples have been reported. It ...

File:CT of thyroid colloid nodule with calcification.jpg, CT (L) and ultrasound (R) of thyroid colloid nodule with calcification File:Thorax pa peripheres Bronchialcarcinom li OF markiert.jpg, lung nodule File:Carcinome à cellules de Merkel.jpg, Merkel cell carcinoma File:Pyogenic Granuloma Thumb 1.JPG, Pyogenic granuloma File:Superficial subcutaneous lipoma.jpg, lipoma

Reference

External links

* {{Tumors Anatomical pathology Dermatologic terminology Dermatologic signs