Spots on lung X-ray

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Hey guys

My mother had a lung transplant 9 years ago last feburary and has had little problems since then.

She had a chest xray done last week for a persistent cough/cold ( I had a severe cold the week before so we thought it was just that ) symptoms that wouldn't go away and she sounded really junky.

The doctor called and said she had spots on her lung, and told her to get to her doctors and University of Pennsylvania right away

I know spots may be cancerous...but are there any other reasons spots may show up on a X-ray...maybe something related to the transplant?

Thanks guys!!

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Specializes in CCU/CVU/ICU.
Hey guys

My mother had a lung transplant 9 years ago last feburary and has had little problems since then.

She had a chest xray done last week for a persistent cough/cold ( I had a severe cold the week before so we thought it was just that ) symptoms that wouldn't go away and she sounded really junky.

The doctor called and said she had spots on her lung, and told her to get to her doctors and University of Pennsylvania right away

I know spots may be cancerous...but are there any other reasons spots may show up on a X-ray...maybe something related to the transplant?

Thanks guys!!

Unfortunately, "spots" is a very vague (and virtually meaningless) term..

I suppose he could be concerned about a number of different things. It's a shame that he wasn't more up-front or informative. Next time, i'd have him explain himself.

I hope things are ok with her.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Spots could also be infilitrates = pneumonia, cancer or asbestos, several different reasons all with different treatments. Further workup is needed. Leaning much more likely with pneumonia.

{{{{HUGS}}}} to get you through the days ahead.

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Specializes in ER.

could be sarcoidosis...often presents similar to CA

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

My dad just had an xray for bronchitis. Saw a "huge shadow" and were concerned about an aortic aneurysm. Scared the you know what out of me. I told my dad "chest xrays are notorious for having artifact" try not to worry. This is true. Urgent ultrasound was completely normal. Thank god! Try not to worry until further investigation occurs. I wish I could have taken my own advice. Best of luck to you.

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Specializes in Emergency.

More importantly the key is she is a lung transplant pt--the worry is rejection hence the statement to see her doctors right away. What the spots actually are who knows with out further testing and followup.

Rj

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Well, I'm working with transplant cases too, bone marrow transplants. A few patients with immunity that are severely low, resulted in getting bacteria/viral/fungal infection. Sometime we see spots in their X-rays too. From liver, to lungs, to abdominal areas.

I wish you'll provide me more information on the spot. Sometime a white spot could mean a growth there (growth can be benign to magliant), ,can be an abcess there, can be tuberculosis or some form of fungal infections. I advice you'll get the doctors to check on her clearly. To get a better resonace imaging to determine the spot.

I wish your mum best of health and speedy recovery!

Piggy

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Hey Guys

They ordered a Cat Scan of her chest and her doctors at penn want to see her ASAP probably thursday (that is when they do their post transplant people). Like you CrunchRN I keep playing it off like it means nothing but deep down I was ready to *bleep*:chuckle myself. The good news is the ct scan will be down and read the same day so there will be no waiting for the results and the doctor requested the acctual films for the xray so I will be able to see them *not the I know what I am looking at lol*

My mom said the doctor was very cold towards her (the family doctor) when he gave her the results. I am thinking #1 he thought he was way out of his leauge and dind't want to mistakenly say pneumonia when it could be somehting else, or #2 he has known us so long that he didn't want to give the bad news until absolutely sure. whooo knows..

One more thing, she had surgery in february for a broken wrist, and they did a chest xray (because it was being done in a local hospital and with the lung issues they required one before anesthesia) wouldn't they have saw something there if there was somehting there already...and if it were cancer....could/would it spread that fast?

Thanks guys for listening to me ramble...I know I probably sound stupid with the questions I am asking but I an a New RN and have absolutley no expereience except what I got from school and all you preceptors know how far that knowledge goes lolol :rotfl:

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

It doesn't sound stupid at all! It is an agony to go through and my thoughts are with you. Hang in there, and I am really glad they are moving on things quickly. The unknown really is scary and I know I always prefer to deal with the known one way or another. Hang tough!

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((LISA))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))!!!

My thoughts and prayers are with you & your Mom. Hopefully everything will be OK.

I hope you will let us know how it goes.

Please don't apologize for "rambling". Afterall, you have every right to be upset--this is your Mom your talking about!! That's why we are all here, to support each other in our times of need.

There are never stupid questions!!

Mary Ann

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.

Could be lots of stuff - not all of them bad and my thoughts are with you. Sometimes you get harmless calcified granulomas from old histoplasmosis or TB. Blood vessels turned on end caught from certain angles can look mysterious.

Reassuring: I think any family pracitioner worth his salt would do what yours did given your Mom's hx - send you to a specialist, even if it's nothing. I'm sorry that his beside manner wasn't all it could be during this difficult time for you and your mother. Here's hoping for the best.

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hey guys

We went to the doctor yesterday. And there mixed news. The spots are what I thought was going on, the doctor sees lung transplant patient and doens't want to over look anything lol so they send you to your lung doctor. So the lung doctor said that the spots were nothing! I didn't think they were anyhting but in the back of my mind I kept thinking what if...ya know? Anyway to the other news they xray did show that her left lung has decreased blood flow which is a sign of regection, however regection is bilaterally and the right lung is perfectly fine. He sent her up for PFT's and although they are below normal ( 57 ) they are the same as 2 years ago so that is good. He put her on zpac for 30 days (It has a bronchodialator effect as well as the antibiotic) and then he is going to recheck her PFT's hoping that they will go back to her normal which was 68 after transplant.

He suspects some sort of chronic regection but like I said it is usually bilaterally decreased but who knows my family seems to be medical mysteries. lol :chuckle I am just concerned because the longest lung transplant patient the doctor has had was 13 years and my mom is at 9 lol and most don't live past 6 years. so she is kinda pushing it.

Sorry this post is so long, but its so good to tlak to people that understand. My mom and dad don't talk about their problems anymore (even though they are in the same house lol they are turning out to be worse than my younger brothers lol) and my boyfriend doesn't really understand or know what to say or do and my friends kinda get tired of it after a while which is understandable.

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