Solitary pulmonary nodule. What should be included in the workup?

Rapid, thorough diagnostic workup of patients with solitary pulmonary nodules is imperative. The optimal management for these patients is exploratory thoracotomy for biopsy and appropriate resection. Preliminary fiberoptic bronchoscopy and transthoracic needle aspiration do not rule out malignant tumors if negative and add only unnecessary complexity, delay, expense, and risk to the patient's management.