Definition

1. Noun:
   • A collection of pus in a body cavity: A medical condition characterized by the accumulation of pus within a natural body cavity, most commonly the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs.

Usage

The word empyema is a specialized medical term. It is used to describe a serious infection and its resulting complication. It functions exclusively as a noun.

Examples

• The patient was diagnosed with a pleural empyema following pneumonia.
• Surgical drainage is often necessary to treat an empyema.
• A chest X-ray can help confirm the presence of an empyema.

Advanced Usage

• Loculated empyema: An empyema where the pus is confined to a specific pocket or area within the cavity, often making drainage more difficult.
  • The CT scan revealed a loculated empyema requiring targeted intervention.

Variants and Related Words

• Empyemic (adj): Pertaining to or affected by empyema.
  • The patient showed empyemic symptoms.

Synonyms

• Purulent effusion: An outflow of pus (a more general term that can include empyema).
• Pyothorax: A synonym specifically for pus in the chest (pleural) cavity.

Different Meanings

The term empyema is highly specific to medicine and does not have common non-medical meanings. It almost exclusively refers to a collection of pus, particularly in the thorax.

Noun

1. a collection of pus in a body cavity (especially in the lung cavity)