Question about ct scan. Please help!

[Lilchic586]

The doctors who take the time to answer these questions are amazing and I just wanna say thank you! I'm a 28 year old female with some shortness of breath on and off, I do smoke and have since I was about 11 but I have quit but it's only been a week. I had a ct scan about a month and a half ago and the result said "no focal airspace consolidation. There are mild patchy airspace opacities in the dependent portion of the right lower lobe and mild linear airspace opacities in the inferior right middle lobe, likely mild atelectasis and or scarring. No pleural effusions. No pneumothorax." The doctor basically brushed me off when I asked him to explain it and said "he's not gonna teach me medicine and that I'm fine."  I'm not asking for a lesson but if you can try to explain it a little and if I should be worried? I can't stop thinking about it, it's really giving me anxiety. Thank you so much!

[Lilchic586]

The reason it was performed was because I was having chest pains and I guess an anxiety attack type of thing and they wanted to check for a blood clot. It was more for my peace of mind. And thank you so much for answering. I'm still quit from smoking 18 days and Im never going back.

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

The abnormalities referred to in the official CT Scan interpretation are very likely inconsequential, most likely residual effects of some prior lung infection.  That is to say, these changes are not suggestive of any serious lung disease.  The overwhelming majority of instances of atelectasis (as described) is not a sign of lung cancer, especially in a person your age, despite your having smoked for a long time.  You are to be commended for having quit smoking and, now that you have made that choice, I urge you to never smoke again.  That may be the cause of your on-again off-again shortness of breath and, if that is the case you can look forward to fewer and fewer episodes of shortness of breath.

You have provided good information but it is unclear to me why the CT Scan was performed.  Your description of your interaction with the doctor, who “brushed you off” is not promising in terms of your getting further information from that source.  

You ask, “should I be worried”, my answer is no but, if your anxiety persists to the degree that it degrades your quality of life, you should not hesitate to arrange for a second opinion with a lung specialist.

Good luck

[Lilchic586]

I think I got scared bc when I tried looking it up it said many times atelectasis is the first sign of lung cancer. :-(