Pneumatosis

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Pneumatosis
Left lung completely affected by bullae shown in contrast to a normal lung on the right.
CausesTobacco smoking, pollutants

Pneumatosis is the abnormal presence of air or other gas within tissues.[1]

In the lungs, emphysema involves enlargement of the distal airspaces,[2] and is a major feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Other pneumatoses in the lungs are focal (localized) blebs and bullae, pulmonary cysts and cavities.

Pneumoperitoneum (or peritoneal emphysema) is air or gas in the abdominal cavity, and is most commonly caused by gastrointestinal perforation, often the result of surgery.

Pneumarthrosis, the presence of air in a joint, is rarely a serious sign.

Lung cysts

CT scan of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia with pulmonary cysts.

A lung cyst, or pulmonary cyst, encloses a small volume of air, and has a wall thickness of up to 4 mm.[3] A minimum wall thickness of 1 mm has been suggested,[3] but thin-walled pockets may be included in the definition as well.[4] Pulmonary cysts are not associated with either smoking or emphysema.[5]

A lung cavity has a wall thickness of more than 4 mm.[3]

Other thoracic

Abdominal

Low magnification micrograph of pneumatosis intestinalis in bowel wall.

Joints

Pneumarthrosis is the presence of air in a joint. Its presentation on radiography is a radiolucent cleft often called a vacuum phenomenon, or vacuum sign.[7] Pneumarthrosis is associated with osteoarthritis and spondylosis.[8]

Pneumarthrosis is a common normal finding in shoulders

spinal surgery.[10] Pneumarthrosis is extremely rare in conjunction with fluid or pus in a joint, and its presence can therefore practically exclude infection.[8]

  • X-ray of a hip with hip replacement and pneumarthrosis, in this case aseptic.
    X-ray of a hip with hip replacement and pneumarthrosis, in this case aseptic.
  • A vacuum sign, or vacuum phenomenon, is a normal finding on shoulder X-rays.
    A vacuum sign, or vacuum phenomenon, is a normal finding on shoulder X-rays.

Other

CT scan of subcutaneous emphysema.

bladder wall. On occasion this may give rise to secondary subcutaneous emphysema which has a poor prognosis.[11]

Pneumoparotitis is the presence of air in the parotid gland caused by raised air pressure in the mouth often as a result of playing wind instruments. In rare cases air may escape from the gland and give rise to subcutaneous emphysema in the face, neck, or mediastinum.[12][13]

Terminology

The term pneumatosis has word roots of pneumat- + -osis, meaning "air problem/injury".

References

  1. ^ "Medical Definition of PNEUMATOSIS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. ISBN 9780781743761
    .
  3. ^ a b c Dr Daniel J Bell and Dr Yuranga Weerakkody. "Pulmonary cyst". Radiopaedia. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  4. PMID 26514407
    .
  5. ^ Araki, Tetsuo. "Pulmonary cysts identified on chest CT:are they part of ageing change or of clinical significance" (PDF). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Gastric emphysema | Radiology Reference Article | Radiopaedia.org". Radiopaedia. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  7. ^ a b Abhijit Datir; et al. "Vacuum phenomenon in shoulder". Radiopaedia. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  8. ^
    ISBN 9781420020663
    .
  9. PMID 19448119
    .
  10. PMID 3448634
    .
  11. PMID 21668949
    .
  12. PMID 23318047
    .
  13. ISBN 978-0-340-80893-1
    .

External links

Look up pneumatosis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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