purulent pleurisy

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purulent pleurisy

A doctor examines a chest X-ray showing signs of purulent pleurisy.

Definition

Noun: A medical condition characterized by the presence of pus within the pleural cavity, the space between the lungs and the inner chest wall. This is a type of pleural effusion specifically involving infected fluid (empyema).

Usage

This is a specific medical term used to diagnose and describe a severe complication of infections like pneumonia, lung abscess, or chest trauma. It indicates an infection that has spread to the pleural space.

Examples
  • The patient's pneumonia progressed to purulent pleurisy, requiring chest tube drainage.
  • A diagnosis of purulent pleurisy was confirmed after analyzing the fluid extracted via thoracentesis.
  • Symptoms of purulent pleurisy include fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.
Advanced Usage
  • Clinical Context: The term is often used interchangeably with empyema or pyothorax, though "purulent pleurisy" explicitly links the condition to inflammation of the pleura (pleurisy).
    • The empyema was formally documented as a case of purulent pleurisy.
Variants and Related Words
  • Empyema (n): The primary synonym; a collection of pus in a body cavity, especially the pleural cavity.
  • Pyothorax (n): A synonym emphasizing pus in the chest cavity.
  • Pleurisy (n): Inflammation of the pleura, which can be dry or exudative; purulent pleurisy is a suppurative form.
  • Pleural Effusion (n): A broader term for excess fluid in the pleural space, which may be transudative, exudative, or purulent.
Synonyms
  • Empyema (of the pleura)
  • Pyothorax
  • Suppurative pleurisy
Related Phrases / Collocations
  • Complicated purulent pleurisy: Indicates the condition requires intervention beyond antibiotics, such as drainage.
  • To develop purulent pleurisy: Describes the progression of an infection.
    • The untreated infection caused him to develop purulent pleurisy.
purulent pleurisy

A doctor examines a chest X-ray showing signs of purulent pleurisy.

Noun
  1. a collection of pus in the lung cavity