Duration

The duration of pleurisy depends on the severity and type of the underlying disease. It is hardly possible to give an exact time specification. It can take several weeks before pleurisy is completely cured.

In the case of viral pleurisy, for example, it can take between one and two weeks. If the cause is bacterial, the disease can last up to four weeks. Taking an antibiotic in the second case can shorten the time frame somewhat.

If the pleurisy is caused by cancer, no statement can be made regarding the duration of the disease. In general, the majority heals without any consequences. In some rare cases, such as tuberculosis or a tumor disease, pleurisy can lead to death if left untreated.

Complications

Particularly in the case of a severe course of the disease, the inflammation of the pleura can lead to serious complications. In this context, adhesions of the pleura play an important role. These adhesions usually result from the inflammatory processes and the resulting immigration of immune cells.

During the healing phase, the individual layers of the pleura lie close together. Since there is hardly any movement in this area over a longer period of time due to the usually very shallow breathing, the layers of the pleura can adhere to each other for a long time. A so-called pleural rind (synonym: pleural callosity) develops. As a result, the lung is firmly attached to the rib cage and cannot develop freely when breathing even after the inflammation of the pleura has completely healed. As a result, affected patients usually have a reduced respiratory volume (amount of air entering the lungs per breath).

Prognosis

The prognosis of inflammation of the pleura depends primarily on the underlying disease and its treatment options. Patients who consult a physician at an early stage when the typical symptoms occur generally have good chances of recovery. In particular, the inflammation of the pleura caused by a virus usually has a very mild course and heals without complications within a short time.