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Atelectasis is the partial collapse or closure of a lung resulting in reduced or absence in gas exchange. It is usually unilateral, affecting part or all of one lung. [2] It is a condition where the alveoli are deflated down to little or no volume, as distinct from pulmonary consolidation, in which they are filled with liquid.
Peribronchial cuffing, also referred to as peribronchial thickening or bronchial wall thickening, is a radiologic sign which occurs when excess fluid or mucus buildup in the small airway passages of the lung causes localized patches of atelectasis (lung collapse). [1] This causes the area around the bronchus to appear more prominent on an X-ray ...
Generally, intrinsic causes are from lung parenchyma diseases that cause inflammation or scarring of the lung tissue, such as interstitial lung disease or pulmonary fibrosis, or from having the alveoli air spaces filled with external material such as debris or exudate in pneumonitis. [3]
It is often called a "collapsed lung", although that term may also refer to atelectasis. [1] A primary spontaneous pneumothorax is one that occurs without an apparent cause and in the absence of significant lung disease. [3] A secondary spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in the presence of existing lung disease.
The differential diagnosis includes other types of lung disease that cause similar symptoms and show similar abnormalities on chest radiographs. Some of these diseases cause fibrosis, scarring or honeycomb change. The most common considerations include: chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis; non-specific interstitial pneumonia; sarcoidosis
The goal of treatment with immunosuppressive agents such as corticosteroids is to decrease lung inflammation and subsequent scarring. Responses to treatment vary. Those whose conditions improve with immunosuppressive treatment probably do not have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has no significant treatment or cure.
A technique called pleurodesis can be used to intentionally create scar tissue within the pleural space, usually as a treatment for repeated episodes of a punctured lung, known as a pneumothorax, or for pleural effusions caused by cancer. While this procedure usually generates only limited scar tissue, in rare cases a fibrothorax can develop. [6]
In both CT and chest radiographs, normal lungs appear dark due to the relative lower density of air compared to the surrounding tissues. When air is replaced by another substance (e.g. fluid or fibrosis), the density of the area increases, causing the tissue to appear lighter or more grey.