Are lung nodules contagious?

Many people know that tuberculosis is contagious, so when they learn that they have lung nodules, the first thing they think of is whether lung nodules are contagious. This disease is not contagious. It is mainly caused by genetic factors and does not involve bacteria. Patients should not panic after becoming ill, but should receive treatment according to the doctor's instructions and maintain a good mentality. This article introduces the specific content of lung nodules. Let’s take a look.

What are pulmonary nodules? Pulmonary nodules (sarcoidosis) are a multi-system and multi-organ granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. They often invade the lungs, bilateral hilar lymph nodes, eyes, skin and other organs. The chest invasion rate is as high as 80% to 90%. Pulmonary nodules are distributed worldwide, with a higher incidence in European and American countries and rare in Oriental ethnic groups. They are more common in people aged 20 to 40 years old, and slightly more common in women than in men. It has recently attracted widespread attention in China.

The cause of his illness is still unclear. Infectious factors (such as bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, fungi, etc.) have been observed, but no definite conclusion has been reached. Genetic factors have also been studied but have not been confirmed. In recent years, some authors have used PCR technology to find that the positive rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in patients with sarcoidosis is as high as 50%, so they proposed that sarcoidosis is the result of mycobacteria invading tissues, but many experiments have not confirmed this argument.

Most small lung nodules are clinically asymptomatic, and a considerable number of patients are discovered during annual routine health examinations. If you find lung nodules, don't be nervous or panic. First, you should bring CT images to the hospital for diagnosis and evaluation by respiratory, thoracic or radiologists. The nature of the lung nodules will be determined, and relevant risk factors including smoking history, occupational exposure history or family history of lung cancer will be asked. The clinician will then formulate a reasonable diagnosis and treatment strategy based on the situation. It is particularly important to analyze the high-risk factors of such cases, and then identify the lesions based on their size, shape, density and relationship with surrounding tissues, and conduct timely clinical dynamic observation or treatment measures based on the condition.

Most people now believe that disorders of cellular immunity and humoral immunity are important pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. Pulmonary nodules are basically divided into two categories: benign nodules and malignant nodules. The former include benign tumors, tuberculosis or sarcoidosis, inflammatory pseudotumors or inflammatory nodules or organizing pneumonia, fungal diseases or parasitic diseases, and hematomas or vascular lesions. The latter includes primary malignant tumors and metastatic tumors.

Pulmonary nodules are related to individual genetic factors and are not contagious. It often invades the lungs, bilateral hilar lymph nodes, eyes, skin and other organs. Because most patients can recover on their own, patients with stable conditions and no symptoms do not need treatment. Patients with obvious symptoms in stages II and III and extrathoracic sarcoidosis, such as ocular sarcoidosis, sarcoidosis invasion of the nervous system, skin and myocardial involvement, persistent increase in blood calcium and urine calcium, and significantly increased SACE levels can be treated with hormones. Commonly used prednisone is 30-60 mg per day, taken orally once (or in divided doses). After 4 weeks, the dose is gradually reduced to 15-30 mg per day, and the maintenance dose is 5-10 mg per day for one year or longer. Long-term use of glucocorticoids should closely monitor the side effects of the hormones. Secondly, chloroquine, methotrexate, azathioprine, etc. can be used as treatment. Any drugs that can cause increased blood calcium and urine calcium, such as vitamin D, are contraindicated.

Through the above knowledge, we have a simple understanding of the disease of lung nodules. I believe everyone already knows what lung nodules are. In addition, although lung nodules are not contagious and not all small nodules require clinical treatment when they are discovered, we still need to do regular physical examinations. Generally, unexplained nodules should be followed up regularly. Do not take it lightly. Pay attention to it and take active observation measures to avoid small nodules from growing larger and turning into malignant tumors.