pleurisy

pleurisy
pleuritic /ploo rit"ik/, adj.
/ploor"euh see/, n. Pathol.
inflammation of the pleura, with or without a liquid effusion in the pleural cavity, characterized by a dry cough and pain in the affected side.
[1350-1400; ME pluresy < OF pleurisie < LL pleurisis, alter. of L pleuritis < Gk pleurîtis. See PLEURA, -ITIS]

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▪ medical disorder
also called  pleuritis 

      inflammation of the pleura, the membranes that line the thoracic cavity and fold in to cover the lungs (lung). 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 pleura produce an abnormal sound called a pleural friction rub when they rub against one another during respiration. This rubbing may be felt by the affected person or heard through a stethoscope applied to the surface of the chest. In wet pleurisy, fluids produced by the inflamed tissues accumulate within the pleural cavity, sometimes in quantities sufficient to compress the underlying lung and cause shortness of breath. Because the pleura is well supplied with nerves, pleurisy can be very painful. Pleurisy is commonly caused by infection in the underlying lung and, rarely, by diffuse inflammatory conditions such as lupus erythematosus. Treatment of pleurisy includes pain relief, fluid evacuation, and treatment of the underlying disease.

John Hansen-Flaschen
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pleurisy — Pleu ri*sy, n. [F. pleur[ e]sie, L. pleurisis, pleuritis, Gr pleyri^tis (sc. no sos), fr. pleyra rib, side.] (Med.) An inflammation of the pleura, usually accompanied with fever, pain, difficult respiration, and cough, and with exudation into the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pleurisy — late 14c., from O.Fr. pleurisie (13c.), from L.L. pleurisis pleurisy (c.400), alt. of L. pleuritis pain in the side, from Gk. pleuritis, from pleura side of the body, rib, of unknown origin. Spelling altered in Late Latin on model of L. stem plur …   Etymology dictionary

  • pleurisy — ► NOUN ▪ inflammation of the pleurae, causing pain during breathing. DERIVATIVES pleuritic adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • pleurisy — [ploor′ə sē] n. [ME pleresye < MFr pleurisie < LL pleurisis, for L pleuritis < Gr < pleura, rib, side] inflammation of the pleura, characterized by difficult, painful breathing and often accompanied by the exudation of liquid into the …   English World dictionary

  • Pleurisy — ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = eMedicineTopic = MeshID = D010998 Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Pleurisy has a variety of infectious and… …   Wikipedia

  • Pleurisy — Inflammation of the pleura, the linings surrounding the lungs. There are two layers of pleura; one covering the lung and the other covering the inner wall of the chest. These two layers are lubricated by pleural fluid. Pleurisy is frequently… …   Medical dictionary

  • pleurisy —    An inflammation of the serous membranes that both surround the lungs and line the inside of the chest cavity; the two membranes supply fluid lubrication between the expanding and contracting lungs and the body. Most pleurisy (and usually the… …   Herbal-medical glossary

  • pleurisy — Synonyms and related words: Asiatic flu, Hong Kong flu, acute bronchitis, adenoiditis, aluminosis, amygdalitis, anthracosilicosis, anthracosis, asbestosis, asthma, atypical pneumonia, bituminosis, black lung, bronchial pneumonia, bronchiectasis,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • pleurisy — [14] Greek pleurá, a word of unknown origin, denoted ‘side’ or ‘rib’. It came to be used as an anatomical term for the ‘inner lining of the chest, containing the lungs’, and the derivative pleurítis ‘inflammation of the chest lining’ was coined… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • pleurisy — [[t]plʊ͟ərɪsi[/t]] N SING Pleurisy is a serious illness in which a person s lungs are sore and breathing is difficult …   English dictionary

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