〔Abstract〕 Objective To explore the application value of spiral computed tomography (CT) target reconstruction in the qualitative diagnosis of independent pulmonary nodule (SPN). Methods A total of 80 patients with SPN admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2022 to March 2023 were selected for this study. All patients underwent spiral CT plain scan and thin-layer target reconstruction examination, and the detection rates of SPN signs by the two methods were compared. The results of pathological examination were used as the gold standard to compare the diagnostic value of the two methods in benign and malignant SPN. Results Pathological examination showed that 32 cases (40.00%) of SPN were benign and 48 cases (60.00%) of malignant SPN.The detection rates of SPN burr sign, lobed sign, bronchial gas sign, vacuole sign, pleural stretch sign and vascular cluster sign were higher in spiral CT target reconstruction than in spiral CT plain scan, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Target reconstruction of spiral CT had higher diagnostic coincidence rate for SPN microinvasive adenocarcinoma and invasive adenocarcinoma than that of spiral CT plain scan, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of spiral CT target reconstruction for benign and malignant SPN were higher than those of spiral CT plain scan, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion Target reconstruction of spiral CT has high diagnostic value in qualitative diagnosis of SPN, and the imaging signs are clear and easy to distinguish.