Pulmonary cavity
Updates to Synonym Attributes
Updates to Synonym Attributes
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 also demonstrate air-fluid levels.
Terminology
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" 7.
Pathology
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.
Causes
Pulmonary cavities may be the result of malignancy, infection, inflammation or be congenital:
- cavitating malignancy
- primary bronchogenic carcinoma (especially squamous cell carcinoma)
-
cavitating pulmonary metastases
- squamous cell carcinoma
- adenocarcinoma, e.g. gastrointestinal tract, breast
- sarcoma
- infection
- pulmonary tuberculosis 3
- pulmonary bacterial abscess/cavitating pneumonia
- post-pneumonic pneumatocoele: a thin walled pneumatocoele is not really a cavity but 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 true "cavity")
A helpful mnemonic is CAVITY.
See also
- pulmonary mass
- pulmonary cyst
- pulmonary cavity
- pulmonary nodule
-</ul><p>A helpful mnemonic is <a title="Pulmonary cavity (mnemonic)" 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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