Disease or Syndrome
pulmonary emphysema
pul·mo·nar·y em·phy·se·ma
Subclass of:
Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease
Definitions related to pulmonary emphysema:
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(emphysema) Abnormal enlargement of the air space distal to the terminal bronchiole accompanied by destructive changes in the alveolar septa.CDISC TerminologyClinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
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(emphysema) Pulmonary emphysema is a disorder affecting the alveoli (tiny air sacs) of the lungs. The transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs takes place in the walls of the alveoli. In emphysema, the alveoli become abnormally inflated, damaging their walls and making it harder to breathe. People who smoke or have chronic bronchitis have an increased risk of emphysema.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(emphysema) Subcategory of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; characterized by anatomic alterations of the lungs, such as the enlargement of airspaces and destruction of alveolar walls.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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(emphysema) Emphysema is a type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). COPD is a group of lung diseases that make it hard to breathe and get worse over time. The other main type of COPD is chronic bronchitis. Most people with COPD have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis, but how severe each type is can be different from person to person. Emphysema affects the air sacs in your lungs. Normally, these sacs are elastic or stretchy. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air, like a small balloon. When you breathe out, the air sacs deflate, and the air goes out. In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs in the lungs are damaged. This causes the air sacs to lose their shape and become floppy. The damage also can destroy the walls of the air sacs, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones. This makes it harder for your lungs to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of your body. The cause of emphysema is usually long-term exposure to irritants that damage your lungs and the airways. In the United States, cigarette smoke is the main cause. Pipe, cigar, and other types of tobacco smoke can also cause emphysema, especially if you inhale them. Exposure to other inhaled irritants can contribute to emphysema. These include secondhand smoke, air pollution, and chemical fumes or dusts from the...MedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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A condition characterized by increase beyond normal in the size of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, either from dilatation of the alveoli or from destruction of their walls.U.S. FDA GlossaryU.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2021
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A subcategory of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It occurs in people who smoke and suffer from chronic bronchitis. It is characterized by inflation of the alveoli, alveolar wall damage, and reduction in the number of alveoli, resulting in difficulty breathing.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Enlargement of air spaces distal to the TERMINAL BRONCHIOLES where gas-exchange normally takes place. This is usually due to destruction of the alveolar wall. Pulmonary emphysema can be classified by the location and distribution of the lesions.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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