Lung diseases

Definition Pleurisy, also called pleuritis, inflammation of the pleura, the membranes that line the thoracic cavity and fold in to cover the lungs. Pleurisy may be characterized as dry or wet. In dry pleurisy, little or no abnormal fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity, and the inflamed surfaces of the …

Definition A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot that develops in a blood vessel in the body (often in the leg). It then travels to a lung artery where it suddenly blocks blood flow. A blood clot that forms in a blood vessel in one area of the body …

Description – Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), also called extrinsic allergic alveolitis, is a respiratory syndrome involving the lung parenchyma and specifically the alveoli, terminal bronchioli, and alveolar interstitium, due to a delayed allergic reaction. Such reaction is secondary to a repeated and prolonged inhalation of different types of organic …

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) – Description Interstitial lung disease is a general category that includes many different lung conditions. All interstitial lung diseases affect the interstitium, a part of the lungs’ anatomic structure. The interstitium is a lace-like network of tissue that extends throughout both lungs. The interstitium provides support …

Definition Pneumothorax is generally a collapsed lung. Normally, the pressure in the lungs is greater than the pressure in the pleural space surrounding the lungs. If air enters the pleural space, the pressure in the pleura then becomes greater than the pressure in the lungs, causing the lung to collapse …

Introduction Bronchiectasis is an abnormal, chronic enlargement of the bronchi, the passageways from the trachea to the alveoli that are the air-exchanging parts of the lungs. Bronchiectasis generally occurs as a result of infection, although noninfectious factors may contribute to the development of this condition. Accompanying the enlargement of the …