medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, 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 A pyogenic granuloma or lobular capillary hemangioma is a vascular tumor that occurs on both mucosa and skin, and appears as an overgrowth of tissue due to irritation, physical trauma, or hormonal factors. It is often found to involve the gum ...

. Nodules may form on

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

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

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The ...

, or be a sign in other medical conditions such as

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are inv ...

Characteristics

Nodules are small firm lumps usually greater than 1 cm in diameter, found in

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

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

s and muscles 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, fa ...

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 (NF2), and schwannomatosis. In NF1 symptoms include light brown ...

, and in

. 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 Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies ...

(R) of thyroid colloid nodule with calcification File:Thorax pa peripheres Bronchialcarcinom li OF markiert.jpg,

lung nodule A lung nodule or pulmonary nodule is a relatively small focal density in the lung. A solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) or coin lesion, is a mass in the lung smaller than three centimeters in diameter. A pulmonary micronodule has a diameter of less ...

File:Carcinome à cellules de Merkel.jpg, Merkel cell carcinoma File:Pyogenic Granuloma Thumb 1.JPG,

Pyogenic granuloma A pyogenic granuloma or lobular capillary hemangioma is a vascular tumor that occurs on both mucosa and skin, and appears as an overgrowth of tissue due to irritation, physical trauma, or hormonal factors. It is often found to involve the gum ...

File:Superficial subcutaneous lipoma.jpg, lipoma

Reference

External links

* {{Tumors Anatomical pathology Dermatologic terminology Dermatologic signs