A node is a lump and a nodule is a little lump; it can be a lump of rock to a geologist, or it can be a lump somewhere in your body. A focal nodular density on an X-ray, CAT scan or mammogram is a small lump that is denser than the surrounding tissue. This can be anything from overgrowth (hypertrophy) of normal cells to something much worse.
Benign Lumps
Harmless lumps of tissue can occur in any part or organ of the human body. The condition of having these lumps is called focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). FNH is harmless, painless and not the beginning of cancer. Fibrocystic disease also causes lumps that may be painful, but are mostly a nuisance.
Malignant Lumps
A lump in your body can be malignant. Malignant comes from the Latin word "malum," meaning evil, and in medicine describes something that gets worse. To most of us, malignant means just one thing -- cancer.
Identification
To find out if a focal nodular density is just harmless tissue or cancer, you must have a biopsy. This is a minor surgical procedure to get a sample of the lump (maybe even the whole thing) to look at under a microscope and test in various ways to find out what from what kind of cells it is made.
Tags: focal nodular, focal nodular density, nodular density, your body
