| lung | <anatomy> An organ for aerial respiration; commonly in the plural. "My lungs began to crow like chanticleer." (Shak) In all air-breathing vertebrates the lungs are developed from the ventral wall of the oesophagus as a pouch which divides into two sacs. In amphibians and many reptiles the lungs retain very nearly this primitive saclike character, but in the higher forms the connection with the oesophagus becomes elongated into the windpipe and the inner walls of the sacs become more and more divided, until, in the mammals, the air spaces become minutely divided into tubes ending in small air cells, in the walls of which the blood circulates in a fine network of capillaries. In mammals the lungs are more or less divided into lobes, and each lung occupies a separate cavity in the thorax. See Respiration. <medicine> Lung fever, pneumonia. <botany> Lung flower, one of the breathing organs of spiders and snails. Origin: OE. Lunge, AS. Lunge, pl. Lungen; akin to D. Long, G. Lunge, Icel. & Sw. Lunga, Dan. Lunge, all prob. From the root of E. Light. See Light not heavy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| lung abscess | A collection of pus within a cavity in the lung due to a bacterial infection (bacterial endocarditis). Certain bacteria (Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Tuberculosis, Klebsiella) are more likely to cavitate the lung and cause abscess formation. (27 Sep 1997) |
| lung bud | The endodermal lung primordium which will give rise to the epithelial lining of the respiratory tract. Synonym: lung bud. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lung cancer | A cancerous growth in lung tissue. Lung cancer may be metastatic from another source (colon) or may be primary (tumour is of lung cell origin). Classification is based on the type of cell the lung cancer originates from (adenocarcinoma, alveolar cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell and small cell carcinomas). (27 Sep 1997) |
| lung compliance | The pulmonary volume change per unit pressure change. While clearly not a complete description of the pressure-volume properties of the lung, it is nevertheless useful in practice as a measure of the comparative stiffness of the lung. The stiffer the lung, the less the compliance. Compliance is reduced by diseases which cause an accumulation of fibrous tissue in the lung or by oedema in the alveolar spaces. It is increased in pulmonary emphysema and also with age, probably because of alterations in the elastic tissue in both cases. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung diseases, interstitial | A heterogeneous group of noninfectious, nonmalignant disorders of the lower respiratory tract, affecting primarily the alveolar wall structures but also often involving the small airways and blood vessels of the lung parenchyma. "interstitial" refers to the fact that the interstitium of the alveolar walls is thickened, usually by fibrosis. This group of diseases is usually inflammatory. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung diseases, obstructive | Any disorder marked by persistent obstruction of bronchial air flow. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung diseases, parasitic | Infections of the lungs with a parasite. They are caused most commonly by nematodes (roundworms). (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung fluke disease | Infection with the lung fluke, Clonorchis sinensis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lung foreign body | Any object or material that does not belong in the respiratory tree. Lung foreign bodies most often result from the accidental aspiration of an object or food particle. (27 Sep 1997) |
| lung perfusion agents | <radiology> Tc-99m MAA (macro-aggregated albumin), Tc-99m HAM (human albumin microspheres), dose 4 mCi, particles, size 10 - 90 m, number 200,000 - 400,000, effect 1 : 1000 arterioles embolised (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung segmental anatomy | <radiology> Right lung, 3 lobes, 10 segments, left lung, 2 lobes, 8 segments (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung transplantation | The transference of either one or both of the lungs from one human or animal to another. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lung unit | A respiratory bronchiole together with the alveolar ducts and sacs and pulmonary alveoli into which the respiratory bronchiole leads, considered by some to include the terminal bronchiole and its subdivisions, and called a pulmonary acinus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lung ventilation agents | <radiology> Xe-133, most commonly used, Xe-127, t = 36.4 days; photons @ 172, 203, 375 keV, can image V after Q, Kr-81m, very expensive, t = 13 sec; photon 190 keV, can repeat V in each projection, Tc-99m DTPA aerosol, can image V in mult. Projections, image Q after V, 1 mCi most likely to be 50-75 mrad to lung, V/Q imaging (12 Dec 1998) |
| air-conditioner lung | An extrinsic allergic alveolitis caused by forced air contaminated by thermophilic actinomycetes and other organisms. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| airless lung | <radiology> Tumour, foreign body, mucous plug (12 Dec 1998) |
| anterior border of lung | The thin anteromedial or sternal edge of the lung which overlaps the pericardial sac anteriorly and forms the boundary between the mediastinal and costal surfaces. Synonym: margo anterior pulmonis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| apex of lung | The rounded, upper extremity of each lung that extends into the cupula of the pleura. Synonym: apex pulmonis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| apical interstitial lung disease | <radiology> A radiological diagnosis where fibrosis is seen in the apices (upper sections) of the lungs. Likely causes include: cystic fibrosis, ankylosing spondylitis, sarcoidosis, silicosis, eosinophlic granuloma, TB and fungus, particularly aspergillus infection. (25 Jun 1999) |
| asbestos lung disease | <radiology> Pleural plaques, earliest finding, may be only evidence, parietal pleura, 15-20 yrs after exposure, calcified after ca. 30 yrs, asbestosis, interstitial lung disease, perihilar regions to lung bases, shaggy heart, no cavitation or progressive massive fibrosis as in silicosis, crocidolite (blue) form most carcinogenic, associated with: malignant pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, GI-tract malignancy (12 Dec 1998) |
| azygos lobe of lung | A small accessory lobe sometimes found on the apex of the right lung; separated from the rest of the upper lobe by a deep groove lodging the azygos vein. Synonym: lobus azygos. (05 Mar 2000) |
| base of lung | The lower concave part of the lung that rests upon the convexity of the diaphragm. Synonym: basis pulmonis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| basilar interstitial lung disease | <radiology> B bronchiectasis, A asbestosis, D drugs / DIP, L lymphangitic metastasis / LAM, A aspiration, S sarcoidosis, S scleroderma (12 Dec 1998) |
| biopsy, open lung | <investigation, procedure, surgery> A procedure which involves the removal of a small specimen of lung tissue for microscopic analysis via a surgical incision in the chest wall. This test can be used to identify a variety of lung cancers, lung infections and lung diseases. (21 Mar 1998) |
| bird-breeder's lung | <chest medicine> Extrinsic allergic alveolitis caused by an allergic reaction to components of the bird or bird droppings. (19 Jan 1998) |
| bird-fancier's lung | <chest medicine> A respiratory disorder due to an acquired hypersensitivity to the dust of bird droppings. It is often seen in pigeon breeder's, and is a form of extrinsic allergic alveolitis. The antigen protein is from bird serum, droppings, or feathers (12 Dec 1998) |
| black lung | A form of chronic clung disease which develops after prolonged exposure to coal dust. Advanced disease and scarring is evident on chest X-ray. Symptoms include wheezing, chronic cough and shortness of breath. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brown induration of the lung | A condition characterised by firmness of the lungs, and a brown colour associated with haemosiderin-pigmented macrophages in alveoli, consequent upon long-continued congestion due to heart disease. Synonym: pigment induration of the lung. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown lung | Obstructive airway disease with asthma produced by exposure to cotton dust, flax or hemp. See: byssinosis. (05 Mar 2000) |