Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-767nl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-08T16:20:25.620Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Case 22 - Pulmonary hamartoma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2011

By
Thomas Hartman
Edited by
Thomas Hartman
Thomas Hartman
Affiliation:
Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Get access

Summary

Imaging description

Pulmonary hamartomas are the most common benign tumor in the lungs. They present as solitary, round, well-circumscribed soft tissue opacities in the lung parenchyma on CT imaging [1–3]. Areas of fat (60%) or calcification (26%) can be seen within the nodule [1]. When areas of fat are identified in a nodule on CT imaging, the diagnosis of hamartoma can typically be made (Figures 22.1–22.3).

Importance

Hamartomas are benign lesions that do not need further workup or resection if they are asymptomatic. Since they usually present as an indeterminate nodule on the chest radiograph, a CT is often obtained to exclude malignancy. Recognition of fat within the nodule on CT will make the diagnosis of hamartoma and will exclude malignancy.

Type
Chapter
Information
Pearls and Pitfalls in Thoracic Imaging
Variants and Other Difficult Diagnoses
 , pp. 58 - 59
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Siegelman, SSKhouri, NFScott, WWPulmonary hamartoma: CT findingsRadiology 1986 160 313CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, CPHoltveg, HFrancis, DPulmonary hamartomaJ Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1992 104 674Google ScholarPubMed
Gaerte, SCMeyer, CAWiner-Muram, HTFat-containing lesions of the chestRadiographics 2002 22 S61CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×