Definition

Noun: A specific type of pneumonia characterized by inflammation and consolidation (solidification) that affects one or more entire lobes of a lung. It is typically caused by a bacterial infection, most commonly Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Usage

The term is used in medical contexts to describe a specific clinical and anatomical pattern of pneumonia. It contrasts with other patterns like bronchopneumonia, which is more patchy and centered around the airways. - The chest X-ray showed clear signs of lobar pneumonia in the right upper lobe. - Before antibiotics, lobar pneumonia was a frequent and serious illness.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Presentation: The disease often has a sudden onset with high fever, chills, and a cough that may produce "rusty" sputum. The consolidation of a whole lobe can often be detected by physical examination (e.g., dullness to percussion) and imaging.
• Pathological Process: The inflammation progresses through distinct stages (congestion, red hepatization, grey hepatization, resolution) within the affected lobe.

Variants and Related Words

• Pneumonia (n): The broader term for inflammation of the lungs, of which lobar pneumonia is one type.
• Bronchopneumonia (n): A different pattern of pneumonia involving patchy inflammation centered on the bronchi and bronchioles.
• Consolidation (n): The pathological process in pneumonia where the air-filled lung tissue becomes solid due to exudate.

Synonyms

• Pneumococcal pneumonia (when specifically caused by )
• Lobar consolidation (describing the radiological or pathological finding)

Related Phrases

• Double pneumonia: A non-specific term indicating pneumonia affecting both lungs; it could be lobar or bronchopneumonia in pattern.
• Walking pneumonia: A mild form of pneumonia, often atypical and not lobar in pattern.

Noun

1. pneumonia affecting one or more lobes of the lung; commonly due to streptococcal infection