Does anyone know what a "consolidated mass" means? It's in the lung. Went in for pneumonia and they saw a dense area. Mentioned possible breast cancer that metastasized but re-did a CT today and spot is still the same two weeks later. Report said "consolidated mass". Don't see doctor to follow up until September 12th.
Lung consolidation occurs when the air that usually fills the small airways in your lungs is replaced with something else. Depending on the cause, the air may be replaced with:
a fluid, such as pus, blood, or water or a solid, such as stomach contents or cells.
The appearance of your lungs on a chest X-ray, and your symptoms, are similar for all these substances. So, you’ll typically need more tests to find out why your lungs are consolidated. With appropriate treatment, the consolidation usually goes away and air returns.
Consolidation almost always makes it difficult for you to breathe. Air can’t get through the consolidation, so your lung can’t do its job of bringing in fresh air and removing the air your body has used. This may make you feel short of breath. It may also make your skin look pale or bluish due to a lack of oxygen. Other symptoms, depending on the cause, can include:
coughing up thick green or bloody sputum, coughing up blood, a dry cough,
breathing that sounds funny or is noisy, chest pain or heaviness.
Lung consolidation is most easily seen on an X-ray. The consolidated parts of your lung look white, or opaque, on a chest X-ray. The way the consolidation is distributed on your X-ray may help your doctor figure out the cause, but other tests are almost always needed.
Blood tests can help determine if:
you have pneumonia and what’s causing it, your red blood cell level is low,
you’re bleeding into your lung, you have vasculitis, your blood oxygen levels are low
Sputum culture can help determine if you have an infection and what’s causing it.
CT scan provides a better image of the consolidation. Many conditions have a characteristic look on CT, which helps your doctor to make a diagnosis.
Bronchoscopy, your doctor inserts a small fiber optic camera on a tube into your lungs to look at the consolidation and, sometimes, take samples of it to culture and study.
How is a lung consolidation treated?
Pneumonia is treated with medication targeted to the organism that caused it. You’ll typically be put on antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals. You may also be given medication to control your cough, chest pain, or fever.
Pulmonary edema
Treatment of pulmonary edema is based on its cause. Treatment may include medication to remove the extra fluid, lower the pressure in your blood vessels, or make your heart pump better.
Pulmonary hemorrhage
If you have vasculitis, you’ll usually be treated with steroids and immunosuppressants. You may need to take these medications regularly to prevent more bleeding.
Aspiration
If you get aspiration pneumonia, you’ll be treated with strong antibiotics. You’ll also be evaluated and treated for swallowing problems, so you don’t continue to aspirate.
Pneumonitis isn’t an infection, so antibiotics don’t work. If you’re very sick, you might be given steroids to reduce the inflammation, but usually you’re only given supportive care while your body heals itself.
Cancer
Lung cancer is hard to treat. Removing the tumor with surgery may give you the best chance to be cured, but not all lung cancers can be removed. Once the cancer starts to spread, it can’t be cured, and treatment is given only to help your symptoms. Early detection is key.
I hope this information, though rather lengthy, is helpful.
emedicinehealth.com/lung_cancer_vs_pneumonia_symptoms_and_signs/topic-guide.htm
However, it is possible to have both.