Browse by letter

Search the VOKA Wiki medical dictionary for clear, expert-reviewed explanations of medical terms and abbreviations.

Nodule

Also known as: Nodus

A nodule (from Latin nodus) is a primary cell-free compacted element located deep in the dermis or subcutaneous fatty tissue. Nodes have a diameter of more than 1 cm (large ones can reach the size of a hen’s egg or more).

They can either protrude above the surface of the skin or be identified only by deep palpation.

Clinical significance

Nodules may be inflammatory in nature (e.g., nodular erythema, furuncle, syphilis) or tumorigenic in nature (benign and malignant skin neoplasms, metastases). After resolution, inflammatory nodules are often ulcerated and replaced by scar tissue (unlike papules), or resorbed, leaving skin atrophy. It is important not to confuse the dermatologic term “nodule” with an enlarged lymph node.