Common Diagnosis

A wide variety of congenital, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic, collagen vascular and idiopathic diseases are known to cause coin lesions. Granulomas, bronchogenic carcinomas, benign tumors and solitary pulmonary metastasis account for 94% of coin lesions. There is a large list of uncommon causes for coin lesions.

Seigleman, et al, reported cumulative data from five reported series of resected coin lesions. The total number of cases were 1,711 patients.

Etiology No of Cases Percentage
Granuloma 924 54%
Bronchogenic CA 479 28%
Hamartoma 113 7%
Metastasis 60 4%
Bronchogenic CA 34 2%

References:

  1. Seigman, et al. Practical Applications in Pulmonary Disease, Grune and Stratton, p339-358, 1979.

For a comprehensive list of reported causes for coin lesion, refer to Fraser, et al, Diagnosis of Diseases of the Chest, W.B. Saunders, p2164, 1979. The three most common etiological considerations are granuloma, cancer and benign tumor.