The vast majority of investigated and surgically treated lung nodules are found to be pulmonary metastases or primary pulmonary cancers in early stages. In a smaller percentage, the lesions are benign. But what if the nature of the nodules does not fit them into the category of tumor? We present the cases of two patients imagistically diagnosed with pulmonary nodules, with aspects that supported the possible malignant etiology. The surgical interventions resulted in totally unexpected conclusions, which could hardly be anticipated. The confrontation of preoperative and intraoperative diagnosis remains essential, and the lesional findings during surgery can alter both therapeutic and patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]