What Is Nodular Opacity?

Nodular opacification is one of the broad patterns of pulmonary opacification that can be described on a chest radiograph or chest CT. The others, linear opacification and airway opacification are discussed separately. Nodular opacification in the lung may be a. pulmonary nodule. airspace nodule.

What causes nodular opacity?

The most common causes of benign nodules include granulomas (clumps of inflamed tissue) and hamartomas (benign lung tumors). The most common cause of cancerous or malignant lung nodules includes lung cancer or cancer from other regions of the body that has spread to the lungs (metastatic cancer).

Are nodules in the lungs serious?

Yes, lung nodules can be cancerous, though most lung nodules are noncancerous (benign). Lung nodules — small masses of tissue in the lung — are quite common. They appear as round, white shadows on a chest X-ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan.