Hi,
Since about last year, I noticed a sensation of a "lump" in my throat when I swallowed. I went to my ENT and he said I have a mild Laryngopharangeal Reflux, not GERD, because I don't get heartburn. .
I was a bit scared last month when I had trouble breathing lying down. I initially thought that this coupled with a cough could be bronchitis/pneumonia. Though I had no fever. So I went to the Pulmonologist. The Pulmonologist didn't see anything in particular and took a chest x-ray at my request. It came back negative. He didn't see fluid or any problems. He prescribed me avelox for 10 days. I felt better, but he told me to call him since I told him I may have seen a "red" tinge (blood) in my sputum. Although I believe now that this red tinge was from clearing my nose, I called the doctor later on and told him I saw some more of the red in my sputum and he said to get a chest ct-scan without contrast. I did and received the following results in a nutshell:
"Thyroid is normal. Small posibility of gynecomastia (enlareged male mammary glands, I am overweight). No axillary, mediastinal or gross hilar lymphadenopathy. Subcentimeter pretracheal lymph nodes are not enlarged. Heart not enlarged. Central airway is patent. No consolidation, pleual effusion, or pneumothorax. There is a 0.4cm (4mm) nodular density along the inferior surface of the right minor fissure, which could represent focal pleural thickening, an intrafissural lymph node or subcentimeter juxtafissural nodule (<--- this is what concerned me) Upper abdominal organs are unremarkable. Osseous structures are unremarkable."
The first pulmonologist told me this nodular density could be a scar left from a previous infection, there since birth, hard to say, probably nothing and to follow up with another ct-scan in 3 months. However, I'm a worrier, so I got a second opinion. The second Pulmonologist told me it is nothing to worry about and put the copy of the ct scan away for my records if I needed it for some reason in 20 years. However, again, I'm a worrier and the fact that the first pulmonologist told me I have to follow up in 3 months worries me.
I am 30 years old. I'm 5'11", weight about 215, I'm overweight. I do not smoke. I have had a polyurethane business for about a few months which is well maintained and no materials we use are carcinogenic. I am a non-smoker. Do you think there is any cause for alarm. Your responses are much appreciated and thanks in advance.