This doesn't make sense!!

09-24-2013, 09:42 PM

I am a 49 year old woman and I have a 8mm noncalcified nodule in the middle lobe of my right lung. For some reason, it does NOT show up on an X-ray but it was found on a CT. Shouldn't it show on an x-ray also?? The ER found it by accident...they thought I had a blood clot that had travelled to my lung...nope! It's a nodule. It was found 51 weeks ago and I did have another scan 2 months after it was found and there was no change in the size. But, since I don't have health insurance, I have been unable to have another CT scan as recommended (every 3 months). My husband makes too much money for us to qualify for any financial assistance but we can't afford a pulmonologist or scan. I have been a smoker for 30 years and I do get backaches and I can't do much without getting short of breath but that doesn't mean it's cancer. My main question is why is it not showing on an X-ray...I've had 2 since they found it on a CT scan so unless it mysteriously disappeared, I don't understand. I have been checked for histoplasmosis and other things like that and they were all negative. Can anyone tell me why it's not apparent on a chest x-ray???? Thanks!!

09-25-2013, 11:39 AM

CT scans (a series of special x-rays that are computer manipulated) usually catch far more fine 'detail' of varying 'densities' than an X-ray and so will spot more things than an x-ray will.

But they're also more costly, so an x-ray is often used first because that may suffice. I suspect your x-rays are simply 'not seeing' such a small, faint item.

sf

editted to add: eg. when my mom's femurs were cracking, an x-ray did not show it, but a CT scan had no problem spotting it.

This doesn't make sense!!

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