Surgical algorithm for heterogeneous bilateral quadruple pulmonary nodules

A 65-year old female with no history of smoking reported experiencing 6 months of tightness in the chest. Chest computed tomography showed two pulmonary nodules in the left upper lobe (one in S3 segment, the other in S4 segment), one nodule in the left lower lobe and a ground-glass opacity (GGO) in the right upper lobe. Synchronous bilateral thoracoscopic wedge resections of the lung were performed to investigate the nodules. Intraoperative frozen section pathology revealed that the two nodules in the left upper lobe were malignant, the nodule in the left lower lobe was a benign lesion and the GGO in the right upper lobe was an atypical adenomatous hyperplasia. As a result, a left upper lobectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. The final pathological diagnosis of the nodule in the left S3 segment was well differentiated adenocarcinoma (pT1bN0M0, IA), the nodule in the left S4 segment was moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (pT1aN0M0, IA), the nodule in the left lower lobe was cryptococcal granuloma and the GGO in the right upper lobe was adenocarcinoma in situ. The patient is currently following a favourable course in her recovery. Here, we would like to share the surgical algorithm used for the treatment of heterogeneous bilateral quadruple pulmonary nodules.