Progress in localization of pulmonary nodules

With the development of CT and the popularization of health examination, the detection rate of small pulmonary nodules has been improved. Some small pulmonary nodules could be malignant nodules. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment. Therefore, it is an important task for thoracic surgeons to accurately locate pulmonary nodules during surgery and remove nodules accurately on the premise of maximum protection of lung function. At present, the core of preoperative auxiliary localization of pulmonary nodules is the implantation of markers. The commonly used clinical localization methods include hook wire localization, microcoil localization, methylene blue puncture injection localization and biological glue localization. In this paper, the development status, application scope, advantages and disadvantages of existing localization methods are briefly reviewed, which can provide references for clinical application and follow-up research. Key words: Lung; Solitary pulmonary nodule; Multiple pulmonary nodules