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.

Noun

1. a collection of pus in the lung cavity