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Necrotizing pneumonia (NP), also known as cavitary pneumonia or cavitatory necrosis, is a rare but severe complication of lung parenchymal infection. [1] [2] [3] In necrotizing pneumonia, there is a substantial liquefaction following death of the lung tissue, which may lead to gangrene formation in the lung.
The prevalence of desquamative interstitial pneumonia is unknown, [6] but it most commonly affects people aged 40 to 60, [7] with males twice as likely to have it as females. [4] While DIP can sometimes progress rapidly, severe fibrosis is rare.
The blockage leads to high blood pressures in the arteries of the lungs, which, in turn, leads to heart failure. The disease is progressive and fatal, with median survival of about 2 years from the time of diagnosis to death. [3] The definitive therapy is lung transplantation. [4]
Pneumonia can lead to the development of a lung abscess, [4] which is a pus-containing necrotic lesion of the lung parenchyma (lung tissue). [5] On CT scan of the chest, a lung abscess appears as an intermediate- or thick-walled cavity with or without an air-fluid level (a flat line separating the air in the cavity from the fluid). [ 4 ]
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. [3] [14] Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. [15]
Lung transplantation is the only therapeutic option available in severe cases. A lung transplant can improve the patient's quality of life. [30] Immunosuppressive drugs can also be considered. These are sometimes prescribed to slow the processes that lead to fibrosis. Some types of lung fibrosis respond to corticosteroids, such as prednisone. [29]
The terms above, when referring to sites other than the lungs, often imply fluid content. Lung cysts are seen in about 8% of the general population, with an increased prevalence in older people, and are not associated with emphysema. [5] They may be part of the aging changes of the lungs, and cause a slight decrease in their diffusing capacity. [5]
A lung nodule or pulmonary nodule is a relatively small focal density in the lung. A solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) or coin lesion, [1] is a mass in the lung smaller than three centimeters in diameter. A pulmonary micronodule has a diameter of less than three millimetres. [2] There may also be multiple nodules.