Introduction
The pleura is a thin skin that lines the rib cage from the inside (pleura) and also envelops the lungs from the outside (pulmonary pleura). The pleura is pervaded by many nerves. This makes it extremely sensitive to pain.
The function of the pleura is to form a sliding layer for the respiratory movements of the lungs. In medical terminology, the pleura is called the pleura. An inflammation of the pleura is therefore called pleuritis (“pleura”: pleura; “-itis”: inflammation). The wet pleurisy (pleuritis exudativa) is a subgroup of pleurisy in general. The dry pleurisy (pleuritis sicca) is the opposite.
Causes
There are many different possible causes for pleurisy. Microorganisms (often bacteria, more rarely viruses or fungal infections) can be involved in the development of pleurisy. In the past, pleurisy often occurred in the course of tuberculosis disease, but has now become rare in everyday life in Western Europe.
In addition to these infectious forms of pleurisy, there are also causes that are not infectious, such as toxic substances, which can be both chemical and physical in nature and which trigger pleurisy. For example, pleuritis can occur after radiation treatment. Inflammation of the pleura can also occur as a result of vascular occlusion (pulmonary embolism), pneumonia or pancreatitis, in that the pathogens spread to the pleura. If the person affected suffers from a malignant disease, the lung tumor can also trigger pleuritis. Other non-infectious causes can be rheumatic diseases, processes after trauma or operations.
Symptoms
In a wet pleurisy, fluid (pus, blood) collects between the lung and pleura, which is called pleural effusion. In contrast to dry pleurisy, it is quite possible that those affected feel hardly any pain, which is mainly due to pleural effusion. Depending on how extensive the pleural effusion is, breathing difficulties may occur because the lungs have less room to expand.
Non-specific symptoms such as fever, cough or a strong feeling of illness can also occur. Respiration in pleurisy is usually shallow to minimize the respiration-associated pain. Due to the flattened respiration, the inflamed parts of the lungs lie on top of each other longer than usual and there is a risk that pleura and lung fur may fuse, especially in the case of wet pleurisy.
