cliot (version 1.0.0)

fleischner_nodule_guidelines: Fleischner Society Guidelines for Incidental Pulmonary Nodules (2017)

Description

Provides follow-up recommendations for incidental pulmonary nodules detected on CT scans in patients >= 35 years old. The guidelines differentiate management based on nodule consistency (Solid, Pure Ground-Glass, Part-Solid), multiplicity, size, and patient risk factors (smoking history, exposure).

Usage

fleischner_nodule_guidelines(nodule_type, multiplicity, size_mm,
                             risk_level = "low")

Value

A list containing:

Guideline_Recommendation

The specific follow-up action plan (e.g., intervals for CT surveillance).

Arguments

nodule_type

String. Consistency of the nodule. Options: "solid", "ground_glass", or "part_solid".

multiplicity

String. Number of nodules. Options: "single" or "multiple".

size_mm

Numeric. Size of the nodule (average diameter) in millimeters. For multiple nodules, use the size of the largest/most suspicious nodule.

risk_level

String. Patient risk status. Options: "low" (minimal/no history of smoking or other known risk factors) or "high" (history of smoking or other known risk factors). Defaults to "low".

References

MacMahon H, Naidich DP, Goo JM, et al. Guidelines for Management of Incidental Pulmonary Nodules Detected on CT Images: From the Fleischner Society 2017. Radiology. 2017;284(1):228-243. doi:10.1148/radiol.2017161659

Examples

# Example 1: Low Risk, Single Solid Nodule < 6mm
# Result: No follow-up
fleischner_nodule_guidelines("solid", "single", 4, "low")

# Example 2: Single Part-Solid Nodule >= 6mm
# Result: CT at 3-6 months
fleischner_nodule_guidelines("part_solid", "single", 8, "low")

# Example 3: High Risk, Single Solid Nodule 7mm
# Result: CT 6-12 mo, then 18-24 mo
fleischner_nodule_guidelines("solid", "single", 7, "high")