[Suspected pulmonary nodule in a male heavy smoker: Is biopsy really necessary?]

Sclerotherapy is a widely used as a lifesaving therapeutic option in cases of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) due to ruptured gastro-esophageal varices (GOV) in cirrhotic patients, especially when there exists a portosystemic shunt. This endoscopic technique can entail many complications, including systemic and non-thrombotic pulmonary embolism (PE). While multiple pulmonary parenchymal manifestations have been described following sclerotherapy of GOV, to our knowledge no solitary suspicious pulmonary nodule has been described.

We report the case of 55-year-old man with heavy smoking history who was referred to our pulmonary clinic for work-up of a solitary pulmonary nodule. He was known to have liver cirrhosis with history of massive UGB due to rupture of GOV two months before. He was treated with sclerotherapy by injecting a 3 cc of Histoacryl/lipiodole solution. The post- endoscopic phase was unremarkable. An enhanced CT scan of chest and abdomen performed two months later showed a right upper lobe nodule, even though at that point, the patient was completely asymptomatic. This was ascribed to non-thrombotic PE secondary to sclerotherapy due to complete resolution of the nodule on a CT scan carried out at 2-month follow-up. At that point, his condition did not require any further treatment.

Solitary pulmonary nodule is one of the radiologic manifestations of PE subsequent to sclerotherapy of GOV. Awareness and radiologic follow-up of this unusual radiologic presentation may prevent unnecessary biopsies.