Multiple Ground Glass Lung Nodules

@hercules I have learned in my 75 years on this earth that what is safe one year may not be safe the next. Lung cancer runs like water in my family so I am checked continually as I have serious infectious lung diseases and too many nodules to keep track of at this point. It is highly possible you picked up some lovely bacteria in the soil or from the organic fertilizer while gardening. Organic doesn’t necessary mean healthy. It just means free of certain things as far as the company is aware. We had a beloved black lab - not even 18 months old who drank run off water from fertilizer my husband used and got fibrosarcoma and died. We never pursued it, but the vet says most likely it was from that. That fertilizer company has had lawsuits. Other than seeing an ID doctor I suggest you wear an N95 mask or similar while gardening. Sometimes the only way to figure out definitively what is down there is with a biopsy. Aspergillosis was djscovered with mine. Another tidbit I have learned is you know your body - listen to it and its infinite wisdom! And advocate for yourself!! Blessings, irene5

Hi again Irene, I am so glad you pointed out this possibility to me because due to my smoking history and family history (dad had lung cancer) this is the first and only thing I considered as to why I have nodules seemingly out of the blue. The gardening is a new hobby for me, I am not an outdoorsy person in the least and working in the dirt and with fertilizer and some other chemical things I've been putting on my flowers, etc to keep deer from eating them is a brand new thing that I have never done before. I'm not sure what "level" of exposure I've had because I only did the fertilizer application one time but it was two big bags of it and as I said previously, the breathing in of that fine dust coupled with the horrible smell was enough to stop me from continuing and coming inside to grab an N95 mask to finish the job. Even with the mask however, I could still smell whatever it was made of so how much of the particulate matter got through and into my lungs, who knows?? I don't feel bad, no cough or congestion or anything that would indicate I have anything infectious going on in there, but I looked back on my calendar and I did the fertilizer application exactly one month ago today. Had the scan 5 days ago. I guess time will tell what these things are, I am hoping they will just go away by the time I have my follow up. I will post what becomes of it regardless. I am sorry that you lost a pet from exposure to toxic chemicals. That is an awful loss and I know that more needs to be done to keep companies that produce these "safe" toxins in check! Take care

Thank you. So I would definitely see an ID doctor. I’m no doctor but I’d say if I had to guess you picked up something. I did not have a cough when I had MAC or aspergillosis. Wishing you well . P.s. My husband uses grated Irish Spring soap to keep deer away. Irene

I've heard of the Irish Spring soap trick recently, I think I may have to try it since the deer don't seem very bothered by the toxic spray and granules 🙂 I have looked up some infectious diseases doctors in town to put on my radar now. Its also helpful to know that you did not have a cough as a symptom accompanying your MAC or aspergillosis illness. I hope you are all better now. Wishing you good health!

@hercules. Just checking in to see how you are doing? Any updates?

Hello All, I am the original poster on this thread and I wanted to share an update to my post. It is now one year later and I just had my 2nd Annual LDCT lung cancer scan. I promised I would come back and post the results here.

My first scan one year ago in Sept 2024 showed that I had 4 ground glass lung nodules as follows:
Nodule 1: size range 5-6mm ground glass, round, indistinct margins, left lower lobe
Nodule 2: size range 4-5mm ground glass, round, indistinct margins, right middle lobe
Nodule 3: size range 4-5mm part solid, round, indistinct margins, right middle lobe
Nodule 4: size range 6-7mm ground glass, round, indistinct margins, left upper lobe
Calcified granuloma in right upper lobe.
LUNG RADS / Category 2 Benign - Recommend repeat scan 1 year.

My second scan yesterday Sept 2025 showed the following:
Nodule 1: size 5.6mm, ground glass, round, smooth margins, left upper lobe
Nodule 2: size 4.8mm, ground glass, round, smooth margins, right upper lobe
Nodule 3: size 4.2mm, ground glass, spiculated margins, right middle lobe
LUNG RADS / Category 2 Benign, Highest Coded Nodule: Nodule 1
Recommend repeat scan 1 year

I noted the following between the two scans:
1. The radiologist reading the second scan was a different radiologist from the first scan.
2. It appears that the second scan describes a nodule in the right upper lobe that was previously described on the first scan as calcified granuloma
3. There is no nodule described in the second scan in the left lower lobe that was previously there in the first scan (Nodule 1)
4. There is no part solid nodule described in the second scan in the right middle lobe that was previously there in the first scan (Nodule 3)
5. The first scan describes all the margins as indistinct and the second scan describes all the margins as smooth except for one it describes as spiculated.

My questions for you wonderful people here are your thoughts about the recommendation of scanning again in one year. I will be honest the word "spiculated" on that one nodule scares me. Everything I read sounds ominous with that word. Has anyone here ever had a spiculated nodule turn out benign? Is it safe to go a whole year without looking at that one again? My pulmonologist who has read the report seems to think so. I like her a lot but I still want to ask others who actually have nodules a "if this were your report, what would you think" question. Any insight anyone would like to give me here would be much appreciated. I pray that you are all doing well and this update finds you in good health. Thank you for your replies!