The lungs

The lungs are a pair of spongy, air-filled organs located on

either side of the chest (thorax). The trachea (windpipe)
conducts inhaled air into the lungs through its tubular
branches, called bronchi. The bronchi then divide into
smaller and smaller branches (bronchioles), finally
becoming microscopic.
The bronchioles eventually end in clusters of microscopic
air sacs called alveoli. In the alveoli, oxygen from the air is
absorbed into the blood. Carbon dioxide, a waste product of
metabolism, travels from the blood to the alveoli, where it
can be exhaled. Between the alveoli is a thin layer of cells
called the interstitium, which contains blood vessels and
cells that help support the alveoli.
The lungs are covered by a thin tissue layer called the
pleura. The same kind of thin tissue lines the inside of the
chest cavity -- also called pleura. A thin layer of fluid acts as
a lubricant allowing the lungs to slip smoothly as they
expand and contract with each breath.

Lung Conditions
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):
Damage to the lungs results in difficulty blowing air
out, causing shortness of breath. Smoking is by far the
most common cause of COPD.
 Emphysema: A form of COPD usually caused by
smoking. The fragile walls between the lungs' air sacs
(alveoli) are damaged, trapping air in the lungs and
making breathing difficult.
 Chronic bronchitis: Repeated, frequent episodes of
productive cough, usually caused by smoking.
Breathing also becomes difficult in this form of COPD.
 Pneumonia: Infection in one or both lungs. Bacteria,
especially Streptococcus pneumoniae, are the most
common cause.
 Asthma: The lungs' airways (bronchi) become
inflamed and can spasm, causing shortness of breath
and wheezing. Allergies, viral infections, or air
pollution often trigger asthma symptoms.
 Acute bronchitis: An infection of the lungs' large
airways (bronchi), usually caused by a virus. Cough is
the main symptom of acute bronchitis.
 Pulmonary fibrosis: A form of interstitial lung disease.
The interstitium (walls between air sacs) become
scarred, making the lungs stiff and causing shortness
of breath.
 Sarcoidosis: Tiny areas of inflammation can affect all
organs in the body, with the lungs involved most of
the time. The symptoms are usually
mild; sarcoidosis is usually found when X-rays are
done for other reasons.
 Obesity hypoventilation syndrome: Extra weight
makes it difficult to expand the chest when breathing.
This can lead to long-term breathing problems.
 Pleural effusion: Fluid builds up in the normally tiny
space between the lung and the inside of the chest
wall (the pleural space). If large, pleural effusions can
cause problems with breathing.
 Pleurisy: Inflammation of the lining of the lung
(pleura), which often causes pain when breathing in.
Autoimmune conditions, infections, or a pulmonary
embolism may cause pleurisy.
 Bronchiectasis: The airways (bronchi) become
inflamed and expand abnormally, usually after
repeated infections. Coughing, with large amounts of
mucus, is the main symptom of bronchiectasis.
 Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): A rare condition
in which cysts form throughout the lungs, causing
breathing problems similar to emphysema. LAM
occurs almost exclusively in women of childbearing
age.
 Cystic fibrosis: A genetic condition in which mucus
does not clear easily from the airways. The excess
mucus causes repeated episodes
of bronchitis and pneumonia throughout life.
 Interstitial lung disease: A collection of conditions in
which the interstitium (lining between the air sacs)
becomes diseased. Fibrosis (scarring) of the
interstitium eventually results, if the process can't be
stopped.
 Lung cancer: Cancer may affect almost any part of the
lung. Most lung cancer is caused by smoking.
 Tuberculosis: A slowly progressive pneumonia caused
by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chronic
cough, fever, weight loss, and night sweats are
common symptoms of tuberculosis.
 Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): Severe,
sudden injury to the lungs caused by a serious illness.
Life support with mechanical ventilation is usually
needed to survive until the lungs recover.
 Coccidioidomycosis: A pneumonia caused by
Coccidioides, a fungus found in the soil in the
southwestern U.S. Most people experience no
symptoms, or a flu-like illness with complete
recovery.
 Histoplasmosis: An infection caused by inhaling
Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus found in the soil in
the eastern and central U.S. Most Histoplasma
pneumonias are mild, causing only a short-lived cough
and flu-like symptoms.
 Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (allergic alveolitis):
Inhaled dust causes an allergic reaction in the lungs.
Usually this occurs in farmers or others who work
with dried, dusty plant material.
 Influenza (flu): An infection by one or more flu viruses
causes fever, body aches, and coughing lasting a week
or more. Influenza can progress to life-threatening
pneumonia, especially in older people with medical
problems.
 Mesothelioma: A rare form of cancer that forms from
the cells lining various organs of the body with the
lungs being the most common. Mesothelioma tends to
emerge several decades after asbestos exposure.
 Pertussis (whooping cough): A highly contagious
infection of the airways (bronchi) by Bordetella
pertussis, causing persistent cough. A booster vaccine
(Tdap) is recommended for adolescents and adults to
prevent pertussis.
 Pulmonary hypertension: Many conditions can lead
to high blood pressure in the arteries leading from the
heart to the lungs. If no cause can be identified, the
condition is called idiopathic pulmonary arterial
hypertension.
 Pulmonary embolism: A blood clot (usually from a
vein in the leg) may break off and travel to the heart,
which pumps the clot (embolus) into the lungs.
Sudden shortness of breath is the most common
symptom of a pulmonary embolism.
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): A severe
pneumonia caused by a specific virus first discovered
in Asia in 2002. Worldwide prevention measures
seem to have controlled SARS, which has caused no
deaths in the U.S.
 Pneumothorax: Air in the chest; it occurs when air
enters the area around the lung (the pleural space)
abnormally. Pneumothorax can be caused by an injury
or may happen spontaneously.

Lung Tests
 Chest X-ray: An X-ray is the most common first test for
lung problems. It can identify air or fluid in the chest,
fluid in the lung, pneumonia, masses, foreign bodies,
and other problems.
 Computed tomography (CT scan): A CT scan uses X-
rays and a computer to make detailed pictures of the
lungs and nearby structures.
 Pulmonary function tests (PFTs): A series of tests to
evaluate how well the lungs work. Lung capacity, the
ability to exhale forcefully, and the ability to transfer
air between the lungs and blood are usually tested.
 Spirometry: Part of PFTs measures how fast and how
much air you can breathe out.
 Sputum culture: Culturing mucus coughed up from
the lungs can sometimes identify the organism
responsible for a pneumonia or bronchitis.
 Sputum cytology: Viewing sputum under a
microscope for abnormal cells can help diagnose lung
cancer and other conditions.
 Lung biopsy: A small piece of tissue is taken from the
lungs, either through bronchoscopy or surgery.
 Examining the biopsied tissue under a microscope can
help diagnose lung conditions.
 Flexible bronchoscopy: An endoscope (flexible tube
with a lighted camera on its end) is passed through
the nose or mouth into the airways (bronchi). A
doctor can take biopsies or samples for culture during
bronchoscopy.
 Rigid bronchoscopy: A rigid metal tube is introduced
through the mouth into the lungs' airways. Rigid
bronchoscopy is often more effective than flexible
bronchoscopy, but it requires general (total)
anesthesia.
 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan): An MRI
scanner uses radio waves in a magnetic field to create
high-resolution images of structures inside the chest.

Lung Treatments
 Thoracotomy: A surgery that enters the chest wall
(thorax). Thoracotomy may be done to treat some
serious lung conditions or to obtain a lung biopsy.
 Video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS): Less-
invasive chest wall surgery using an endoscope
(flexible tube with a camera on its end). VATS may be
used to treat or diagnose various lung conditions.
 Chest tube (thoracostomy): A tube is inserted through
an incision in the chest wall in order to drain fluid or
air from around the lung.
 Pleurocentesis: A needle is placed into the chest cavity
to drain fluid that's around the lung. A sample is
usually examined to identify the cause.
 Antibiotics: Medicines that kill bacteria are used to
treat most cases of pneumonia. Antibiotics are not
effective against viruses.
 Antiviral drugs: When used soon after flu symptoms
start, antiviral medicines can reduce the severity of
influenza. Antiviral drugs are not effective against
viral bronchitis.
 Bronchodilators: Inhaled medicines can help expand
the airways (bronchi). This can reduce wheezing and
shortness of breath in people with asthma or COPD.
 Corticosteroids: Inhaled or oral steroids can reduce
inflammation and improve symptoms in asthma or
COPD. Steroids can also be used to treat less common
lung conditions caused by inflammation.
 Mechanical ventilation: People with severe attacks of
lung disease may require a machine called a ventilator
to assist breathing. The ventilator pumps in air
through a tube inserted into the mouth or the neck.
 Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP): Air
pressure applied by a machine through a mask keeps
the airways open. It is used at night to treat sleep
apnea, but it is also helpful for some people with
COPD.
 Lung transplant: Surgical removal of diseased lungs
and replacement with organ donor lungs. Severe
COPD, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary
fibrosis are sometimes treated with lung transplant.
 Lung resection: A diseased portion of the lung is
removed through surgery. Most often, lung resection
is used to treat lung cancer.
 Vasodilators: People with some forms of pulmonary
hypertension may require long-term medicines to
lower the pressure in their lungs. Often, these must be
taken through a continuous infusion into the veins.
 Chemotherapy and radiation therapy: Lung cancer is
often not curable with surgery. Chemotherapy and
radiation therapy can help improve symptoms and
sometimes extend life with lung cancer.