Pulmonary cavity
Updates to Article Attributes
Pulmonary cavities are gas-filled areas of the lung in the center of a nodule, mass or area of consolidation. They are usually evident on plain radiography and CT. They are typically thick walled and their walls must be greater than 2-5 mm. They may be filled with air as well as fluid and may be clinically observed by use of plain chest radiography or computed tomographyalso demonstrate air-fluid levels.
Terminology
According to the Fleischner society is has been described as apulmonary cavities are defined "gas-filled space, seen as a lucency or low-attenuation area, within pulmonary consolidation, a mass, or a nodule" 7.
They are typically thick walled and many publications state that their walls must be greater than 2-5 mm 4-6. They may be filled with air as well as fluid and may also demonstrate air-fluid levels.
PathophysiologyPathology
The cause of pulmonary cavities is broad. They may develop as a chronic complication of a pulmonary cyst, or secondary to cystic degeneration of a pulmonary mass. They may enlarge or involute over time, or involute.
Causes
Pulmonary cavities may be the result of malignancy, infection, inflammation or be congenital:
- cavitating malignancy
- primary bronchogenic carcinoma (especially squamous cell carcinoma)
-
pulmonary metastases-- squamous cell carcinoma
- adenocarcinoma, e.g. gastrointestinal tract, breast
- sarcoma
- infection
- pulmonary tuberculosis 3
-
pulmonary bacterial abscess
-/cavitating pneumonia - post
pneumotic-pneumonic pneumatocoele(a: a thin walled pneumatocoele is not really a cavity- butbut when infected can be thick walled) - septic pulmonary emboli
- other rare infections
- non-infective granuloma
- vascular
- trauma
- pneumatocoeles (a thin walled pneumatocoele is not really a cavity)
- congenital
- not(not true "cavity")
A helpful mnemonic is CAVITY.
See also
- pulmonary mass
- pulmonary cyst
- pulmonary cavity
- pulmonary nodule
-<p><strong>Pulmonary cavities</strong> are gas-filled areas of the lung in the center of a nodule, mass or area of consolidation and may be clinically observed by use of plain chest radiography or computed tomography.</p><p>According to Fleischner society is has been described as a "gas-filled space, seen as a lucency or low-attenuation area, within pulmonary consolidation, a mass, or a nodule" <sup>7</sup>.</p><p>They are typically thick walled and many publications state that their walls must be greater than 2-5 mm <sup>4-6</sup>. They may be filled with air as well as fluid and may also demonstrate air-fluid levels.</p><h4>Pathophysiology</h4><p>The cause of pulmonary cavities is broad. They may develop as a chronic complication of a pulmonary cyst, or secondary to cystic degeneration of a pulmonary mass. They may enlarge over time, or involute.</p><h5>Causes</h5><p>Pulmonary cavities may be the result of malignancy, infection, inflammation or be congenital:</p><ul>- +<p><strong>Pulmonary cavities</strong> are gas-filled areas of the lung in the center of a nodule, mass or area of consolidation. They are usually evident on plain radiography and CT. They are typically thick walled and their walls must be greater than 2-5 mm. They may be filled with air as well as fluid and may also demonstrate air-fluid levels.</p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>According to the Fleischner society pulmonary cavities are defined "gas-filled space, seen as a lucency or low-attenuation area, within pulmonary consolidation, a mass, or a nodule" <sup>7</sup>.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>The cause of pulmonary cavities is broad. They may develop as a chronic complication of a pulmonary cyst, or secondary to cystic degeneration of a pulmonary mass. They may enlarge or involute over time.</p><h5>Causes</h5><p>Pulmonary cavities may be the result of malignancy, infection, inflammation or be congenital:</p><ul>
-<li>primary <a href="/articles/bronchogenic-carcinoma">bronchogenic carcinoma</a> (especially <a href="/articles/squamous-cell-carcinoma-of-the-lung">squamous cell carcinoma</a>)</li>- +<li>primary <a href="/articles/lung-cancer-3">bronchogenic carcinoma</a> (especially <a href="/articles/squamous-cell-carcinoma-of-the-lung">squamous cell carcinoma</a>)</li>
-<a href="/articles/pulmonary-metastases">pulmonary metastases</a> - <a href="/articles/cavitating-pulmonary-metastases">cavitating pulmonary metastases</a><ul>- +<a href="/articles/cavitating-pulmonary-metastases">cavitating pulmonary metastases</a><ul>
-<a href="/articles/lung_abscess">pulmonary bacterial abscess</a> - <a href="/articles/cavitating-pneumonia">cavitating pneumonia</a>- +<a href="/articles/lung-abscess">pulmonary bacterial abscess</a>/<a href="/articles/cavitating-pneumonia">cavitating pneumonia</a>
-<li>post pneumotic <a href="/articles/pneumatocoele">pneumatocoele</a> (a thin walled pneumatocoele is not really a cavity - but infected can be thick walled)</li>- +<li>post-pneumonic <a href="/articles/pneumatocoele">pneumatocoele</a>: a thin walled pneumatocoele is not really a cavity but when infected can be thick walled</li>
-<a href="/articles/pulmonary-actinomycosis">pulmonary actinomycosis</a> - <a href="/articles/thoracic-actinomycosis-infection">thoracic actinomycosis</a>- +<a href="/articles/pulmonary-actinomycosis">pulmonary actinomycosis</a> / <a href="/articles/thoracic-actinomycosis-infection">thoracic actinomycosis</a>
-<li>congenital - not true "cavity"<ul>- +<li>congenital (not true "cavity")<ul>
-</ul><p>A helpful mnemonic is <a href="/articles/pulmonary-cavity-mnemonic">CAVITY</a></p><h4>See also</h4><ul>- +</ul><p>A helpful mnemonic is <a href="/articles/pulmonary-cavity-mnemonic">CAVITY</a>. </p><h4>See also</h4><ul>
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