Atelectasis overview
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Atelectasis overview On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Somal Khan, M.D.
Overview
Atelectasis is defined as a state in which the lung, in whole or in part, is collapsed or without air.[1] It is a condition where the alveoli are deflated, as distinct from pulmonary consolidation. Infant respiratory distress syndrome includes another type of atelectasis, and is described and discussed in its own article.
Classification
Atelectasis may be an acute or chronic condition. In acute atelectasis, the lung has recently collapsed and is primarily notable only for airlessness. In chronic atelectasis, the affected area is often characterized by a complex mixture of airlessness, infection, widening of the bronchi (bronchiectasis), destruction, and scarring (fibrosis).
Pathophysiology
There are several types of atelectasis according to their underlying mechanisms or the distribution of alveolar collapse; resorption, compression, microatelectasis and contraction atelectasis.
References
- ↑ Medical Terminology Systems: A Body Systems Approach, 2005