Acinus pl. Acini [L, grape], 1. Any small sac-like structure, particularly one found in a gland. 2. A subdivision of the lung consisting of the tissue distal to a terminal bronchiole. Also called alveolus.

Antigen [Gk, anti + genein, to produce], a substance, usually a protein, that causes the formation of an antibody and reacts specifically with that antibody.

Apices [L, apices], referring to the upper lobe of one lung.

Auscultation [L, auscultare, to listen], the act of listening for sounds within the body to evaluate the condition of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, pleura, intestines or other organs. Auscultation may be performed directly, but most commonly a stethoscope is used to determine the frequency, intensity, duration, and quality of the sounds. During auscultation of the lungs the patient usually sits upright and is instructed to breathe slowly and deeply through the mouth. The anterior and posterior surfaces of the thorax are auscultated from apex to base with comparasons made between the right and left sides; when the posterior chest is examined, the patient is asked to bring the shoulders forward so that a greater surface of lung can be auscultated.

Bronchiole [L, bronchiolus, little windpipe], a small airway of the respiratory system extending from the bronchi into the lobes of the lung. There are two divisions of bronchioles: The terminal bronchioles pass inspired air from the bronchi to the respiratory bronchioles and expired waste gases from the respiratory bronchioles to the bronchi. The respiratory bronchioles function similarly, allowing the exchange of air and waste gases between the alveolar ducts and the terminal bronchioles.

Calcification [L, calx + facere, to make], the accumulation of calcium salts in tissues. Normally, about 99% of all the calcium entering the human body is deposited in bones and teeth; the remaining 1% is dissolved in body fluids such as the blood. Disorders affecting the delicate balance between calcium and other minerals, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D can result in calcium deposits in arteries, kidneys, lung alveoli, and other tissues, interfering with usual organ function.

Caseation [ L, caseus, cheese], a form of tissue necrosis in which there is loss of cellular outline and the appearance is that of crumbly cheese. It is typical of tuberculosis.

Cavernous rale [L, caverna + Fr rattle], an abnormal hollow, metallic sound heard during auscultation of the thorax. It is caused by contraction and expansion of a pulmonary cavity during respiration and indicates a pathologic condition.

Compliance [L, complere, to complete], 1. Fulfuillment by the patient of the care-giver's prescribed course of treatment. 2. A measure of distensibility of the lung volume produced by a unit pressure change.

Crepitus [L, crackling], a sound that resembles the crackling noise heard on an open fire. The rales of a consolidated area of the lung in pneumonia. Also called crepitation.

Croup [Scot, to croak], an acute viral infection of the upper and lower respiratory tract that occurs pimarily in infants and young children 3 months to 3 years of age after an upper respiratory tract infection. It is characterized by hoarseness, fever, a distinctive harsh, brassy cough, respiratory distress resulting from obstruction of the larynx. The most common causative agents are the parainfluenza viruses, especially type 1, followed by the respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) and influenza A and B viruses.

Diagnosis pl. diagnoses [Gk, dia + gnosis, knowledge]. 1. Identification of a disease or condition by a scientific evaluation of physical signs, symptoms, history, laboratory test, and procedures. Kinds of diagnoses are clinical diagnosis, differential diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, nursing diagnosis and physical diagnosis. 2. The art of naming a disease or condition.

Dyspnea [Gk, dys + pnoia, breathing], a shortness of breath of a difficulty in breathing that may be caused by certain heart conditions, strenuous exercise, anxiety or a verity of pulmonary conditions.
Effusion [L, effundere, to pour out], 1. The escape of fluid from blood vessels because of rupture of seepage, usually into a body cavity. The condition is usually associated with a circulatory or renal disorder and is often an early sign of congestive heart disease. The term may be associated with a affected body area, as pleural or pericardial effusion

Etiology [Gk., atia, cause, logos, science], 1. The study of all factors that may be involved in the development of a disease, including susceptibility of the patient, the nature of the disease agent, and the way in which the patient's body is invaded by the agent. 2. The cause of a disease.

Fibrous [L, fibra, fiber], consisting mainly of fibers or fiber-containing materials, such as fibrous connective tissue.

Hypoxemia [ Gk, hypo + oxys, sharp, genein, to produce, hamia, blood], an abnormal deficiency of oxygen in the arterial blood. Symptoms of acute hypoxemia are cyanosis, restlessness, stupor, coma, Cheyne- Stokes breathing, apnea, increased blood pressure, tachycardia, and an initial increase in cardiac output that later falls, resulting in hypotension and ventricular fibrillation or asystole. Chronic hypoxemia stimulates red blood cell production by the bone marrow, leading to secondary polycythemia. Hypoxemia caused by decreased alveolar oxygen tension or underventilation improves with oxygen therapy. Hypoxemia resulting from shunting of blood from the right side of the heart to the left side of the heart without exchange of gases in the lungs is treated with bronchial hygiene and positive and expiratory pressure therapy.

Insidious [L, insidiousus, cunning], of, pertaining to, or describing a development that is gradual, subtle, or imperceptible. Certain chronic disease, such as glaucoma, can develop insidiously with symptoms that are not detected by the patent until the disorder is established.

Lesion [L, laesus, an injury], 1. A wound, injury or pathogenic change in body tissue. 2. Any visible, local abnormality of the tissues of the skin, such as a wound, sore, rash or boil. A lesion may be described as benign, cancerous, gross, occult, or primary.

Leukocytosis [Gk, leukos= kytos, cell, osis, condition], an abnormal increases in the number of circulating white blood cells. An increase often accompanies bacterial, but not usually viral, infections. The normal range is 5000 to 10,000 white cells per cubic millimeter of blood. Leukemia may be associated with a white blood cell count as high as 500,000 to 1 million per cubic millimeter of blood, the increase being either equally or disproportionately distributed among all types. Kinds of leukosytosis include basophilia, eosinophilia, and neutophilia.

Membrane [L, membrana, thin skin], a thin layer of tissue that covers a surface, lines a cavity, or divides a space, such as the abdominal membrane that lines the abdominal wall and Descernet's membrane between the subtantia propria and the endothelium of the cornea. The principal kinds of membranes are mucous membrane, serous membrane, synovial membrane, and cutaneous membrane.

Mucopurulent [L, mucus + purulentus, puss], characteristic of combination of mucus and pus.

Orthopnea [Gk, orthos + pnosis, breath], an abnormal condition in which a person must sit or stand to breathe deeply or comfortably. It occurs in many disorders of the cardiac and respiratory systems, such as asthma, pulmonary edema, emphysema, pneumonia, and agina pectoris.

Panlobular [Gk, pan + lobos, all lobes], any condition involving all areas of the lung.

Paradoxical breathing [Gk, paradoxos; AS, breath], a condition in which a part of the lung deflates during inspiration and inflates during expiration. The condition usually is associated with a chest trauma, such as an open chest wound or rib cage damage. In such cases, the paradoxical breathing that occurs spontaneously is sometimes called internal paradoxical breathing. External paradoxical breathing may be observed during deep general anesthesia.

Parencyma [Gk, papa + enchyma, infusion], the tissue of an organ as distinguished from supporting or connective tissue.
Pleura [Gk, rib], a delicate serous membrane enclosing the lung, composed of a single layer of flattened mesothelial cells resting on a delicate membrane of connective tissue. Beneath the membrane is a stroma of collagenous tissue containing yellow elastic fibers. The pleura divides into the visceral pleura, which covers the lung, dipping into the fissures between the lobes, and the parietal pleura, which lines the chest wall, covers the diaphragm, and reflects over the structures in the mediastinum. The parietal and visceral pleurae are separated from each other by a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant, as the lungs expand and contract during respiration.

Purulent [L, containing pus], producing or containing pus.

Shunt [ME, shunten], 1. To redirect the flow of a body fluid from one cavity or vessel to another. 2. A tube or device implanted in the body to redirect a body fluid from one cavity or vessel to another.

Steroid [Gk, stereos + eidos, form], any of a large number of hormonal substances with a similar basic chemical structure, produces mainly in the adrenal cortex and gonads.

Thoracostomy [Gk, thorax + stoma, mouth], an incision made into the chest wall to provide an opening for the purpose of drainage.

Thoracotomy [Gk, thorax + temnein, to cut], a surgical opening into the thoracic cavity.

Tissue [Fr, tissu, fabric], a collection of similar cells acting together to perform a particular function.

Trypsin [Gk, tripsis, rubbing], a proteolytic digestive enzyme produced by the exocrine pancreas that catalyzes in the small intestine the breakdown of dietary proteins to peptones, peptides, and amino acids.

Tussive fremitus [L, tussis, cough + fremitus, murmuring], a vibratory cough that can be felt by a hand over the chest of the patient.

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