Lung Imaging: From 1 Different Sources
Techniques that provide images of the lungs to aid in the diagnosis of disease.
Most lung disorders can be detected by chest X-ray.
CT scanning and MRI play an important role in detecting the presence and spread of lung tumours.
Ultrasound scanning is sometimes used to reveal pleural effusion.
Radioisotope scanning is used to detect evidence of pulmonary embolism.
Allergic alveolitis. An occupational lung disease due to inhaling dust and mouldy grain, hay or other mouldy vegetable produce. Usually affects farm workers and those exposed to its wide range of allergens.
Symptoms: Influenza-like fever, breathlessness, cough.
Prognosis: Chronic lung damage and progressive disability.
Indicated: antifungals, antibiotics.
Alternatives. Teas. Marigold, Ground Ivy, Scarlet Pimpernel, Yarrow. 1 heaped teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-15 minutes; 1 cup freely.
Tablets/capsules. Garlic, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Thuja.
Powders. Combine, parts, Echinacea 3; Goldenseal 1; Thuja 1. Dose: 500mg, (two 00 capsules or one- third teaspoon) thrice daily.
Decoction. Irish Moss, to promote expectoration and eliminate debris.
Tinctures. Alternatives. (1) Echinacea 2; Lobelia 1; Liquorice 1. (2) Equal parts: Wild Indigo, Thuja and Pleurisy root. (3) Echinacea 2; Marigold 1; Thuja half; Liquorice half. Dosage: two 5ml teaspoons in water thrice daily. Acute cases: every 2 hours.
Topical. Inhalation of Eucalyptus or Tea Tree oils.
Diet. See: DIET – GENERAL. Yoghurt in place of milk.
Note: Bronchodilators of little value. Those at risk should have an X-ray at regular intervals. ... farmer’s lung
A device that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs. It is used in certain operations in the chest, giving the surgeon more time for operations such as open-heart surgery, heart transplants and heart-lung transplants. The machine also ensures an operating area largely free of blood, which helps the surgeon to work more quickly. A pump replaces the heart and an oxygenator replaces the lungs. When connected up, the machine in e?ect bypasses normal cardiopulmonary activity. It also contains a heat exchanger to warm or cool the patient’s blood according to the requirements of the operation. The patient is given an anticoagulant (HEPARIN) to counteract clotting which may occur when blood cells get damaged during the machine’s use. Patients are on the machine for a few hours only, because blood supply to vital organs begins to be reduced.... heart-lung machine
A large machine formerly used to maintain breathing, especially in people paralysed by poliomyelitis. The iron lung has been replaced by more efficient means of maintaining breathing (see ventilation).... iron lung
See MRI.... magnetic resonance imaging
Also known as pigeon breeder’s lung, this is a form of extrinsic allergic ALVEOLITIS resulting from sensitisation to birds. In bird fanciers, skin tests sometimes show sensitisation to birds’ droppings, eggs, protein and serum, even through there has been no evidence of any illness.... bird fancier’s lung
Budgerigar-fancier’s lung is a form of extrinsic allergic ALVEOLITIS, resulting from sensitisation to budgerigars, or parakeets as they are known in North America. Skin tests have revealed sensitisation to the birds’ droppings and/or serum. As it is estimated that budgerigars are kept in 5– 6 million homes in Britain, current ?gures suggest that anything up to 900 per 100,000 of the population are exposed to the risk of developing this condition.... budgerigar-fancier’s lung
A form of external allergic ALVEOLITIS caused by the inhalation of dust from mouldy hay or straw.... farmer’s lung
An operation in which a patient’s diseased lungs and heart are removed and replaced with donor organs from someone who has been certi?ed as ‘brain dead’ (see BRAIN-STEM DEATH). As well as the technical diffculties of such an operation, rejection by the recipient’s tissues of donated heart and lungs has proved hard to overcome. Since the early 1990s, however, immunosuppressant drug therapy (see CICLOSPORIN; TRANSPLANTATION) has facilitated the regular use of this type of surgery. Even so, patients receiving transplanted hearts and lungs face substantial risks such as lung infection and airway obstruction as well as the long-term problems of transplant rejection.... heart-lung transplant
Trematode worms infecting the lungs of humans and other crab-eating mammals. Belong to the genusParagonimus and are found in parts of Africa, Latin America, Asia and SE Asia.... lung flukes
See MRI.... magnetic resonance imaging(mri)
See ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (ARDS).... shock lung
See barium X-ray examinations.... intestinal imaging
An operation to cut out one of the lobes of a lung, usually to remove a cancerous tumour.... lobectomy, lung
See pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive.... lung disease, chronic obstructive
See pulmonary function tests.... lung function tests
See barium X-ray examinations.... stomach imaging
a form of extrinsic allergic *alveolitis caused by the inhalation of avian proteins present in the droppings and feathers of certain birds, especially pigeons and caged birds (such as budgerigars). As in *farmer’s lung, there is an acute and a chronic form.... bird-fancier’s lung
see Doppler ultrasound.... colour flow ultrasound imaging
any technique that produces an image in the form of a section through the body with the structures cut across. The main techniques are *ultrasonography, *computerized tomography, *magnetic resonance imaging, and some *nuclear medicine techniques (see positron emission tomography; SPECT scanning). If a series of thin-section images is stacked they can be ‘cut’ through to show other planes or allow reconstruction of three-dimensional images.... cross-sectional imaging
A machine that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs to facilitate operations such as open heart surgery, heart transplants, and heart–lung transplants.
A heart–lung machine consists of a pump (to replace the heart’s function) and an oxygenator (to replace the lung’s function). It bypasses the heart and lungs, and the heart can be stopped.
Use of a heart–lung machine tends to damage red blood cells and to cause blood clotting. These problems can be minimized, however, by the administration of heparin, an anticoagulant drug, beforehand.heart–lung transplant A procedure in which the heart and lungs of a patient are removed, and replaced with donor organs. This surgery is used to treat diseases in which the lung damage has affected the heart, or vice versa. Such diseases include cystic fibrosis, fibrosing alveolitis, and some severe congenital heart defects (see heart disease, congenital). A heart–lung machine is used to take over the function of the patient’s heart and lungs during the operation, which is no more dangerous than a heart transplant.
heart-rate The rate at which the heart contracts to pump blood around the body. Most people have a heart-rate of between 60 and 100 beats per minute at rest. This rate tends to be faster in childhood and to slow slightly with age. Very fit people may have a resting rate below 60 beats per minute.
The heart muscle responds automatically to any increase in the amount of blood returned to it from active muscles by increasing its output. During extreme exercise, heart-rate may increase to 200 contractions per minute and the output to almost 250 ml per beat.
The heart-rate is also regulated by the autonomic nervous system. The parts of this system concerned with heart action are a nucleus of nerve cells, called the cardiac centre, in the brainstem, and 2 sets of nerves (the parasympathetic and sympathetic).
At rest, the parasympathetic nerves – particularly the vagus nerve – act on the sinoatrial node to maintain a slow heart-rate. During or in anticipation of muscular activity, this inhibition lessens and the heart-rate speeds up.
Sympathetic nerves release noradrenaline, which further increases the heart-rate and force of contraction. Sympathetic activity can be triggered by fear or anger, low blood pressure, or a reduction of oxygen in the blood.
Release of adrenaline and noradrenaline by the adrenal glands also acts to increase heart-rate.
The rate and rhythm of the heart can be measured by feeling the pulse or by listening with a stethoscope; a more accurate record is provided by an ECG.
A resting heart-rate above 100 beats per minute is termed a tachycardia, and a rate below 60 beats per minute a bradycardia. (See also arrhythmia, cardiac.)... heart–lung machine
Techniques for visualizing the kidneys, usually performed for diagnosis. Ultrasound scanning can be used to identify kidney enlargement, a cyst or tumour, and the site of any blockage. Conventional X-rays show the outline of the kidneys and most kidney stones. Intravenous urography shows the internal anatomy of the kidney and ureters. Angiography is used to image blood circulation through the kidneys. CT scanning and MRI provide detailed cross-sectional images and can show abscesses or tumours. Two types of radionuclide scanning are used for the kidney: DMSA and DTPA scanning. DMSA is a substance given by intravenous injection that binds to cells in the kidney tubule, giving a single, static picture of the kidneys. DTPA, also given intravenously, is filtered in the kidneys and passes out in the urine. Pictures taken at intervals record its passage through the urinary tract and show kidney function. ... kidney imaging
a variant of *diffusion weighted imaging in which both the direction and the amount of diffusion of water molecules in a tissue are coded in the image. This MRI technique can be valuable in linear structures, such as nerves and muscle fibres. In the brain the major tracts and their communications can be studied with this technique (see tractography).... diffusion tensor imaging
a method of creating images by *magnetic resonance imaging that relies on the amount of available space that individual water molecules have to move in, which depends on the local microstructure. Pathological tissues generally are less organized, with more space for diffusion and a higher signal.... diffusion weighted imaging
(DSI) the production of static images using an *image intensifier, usually during a fluoroscopic examination. The images can be stored digitally (see digitization) and either transferred to photographic film or viewed on a TV monitor.... digital spot imaging
see Doppler ultrasound.... duplex imaging
(fMRI) a type of *magnetic resonance imaging that measures the increased hemodynamic response seen with neural activity in the brain or spinal cord. fMRI has allowed major advances in brain mapping (i.e. matching sections of the brain with particular behaviours, thoughts, or emotions).... functional magnetic resonance imaging
see co-registration.... fusion imaging
the honeycomb pattern seen on X-ray at the later stages of chronic lung conditions, in which the lungs become less elastic and more fibrotic. Once the honeycomb appearance is visible on the X-ray, the lungs are likely to progress to respiratory failure.... honeycomb lung
n. (in radiology) the production of images of organs or tissues by a range of techniques. These images are used by physicians in diagnosis and in monitoring the effects of treatment. They can also be used to guide *interventional radiology techniques. See also computerized tomography; magnetic resonance imaging; ultrasonography.... imaging
cancer arising in the epithelium of the air passages (bronchial cancer) or lung (see also non-small-cell lung cancer; small-cell lung cancer). It is a very common form of cancer, particularly in Britain, and is strongly associated with cigarette smoking and exposure to industrial air pollutants (including asbestos). There are often no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, when diagnosis is made on X-ray examination. Treatment includes surgical removal of the affected lobe or lung (less than 20% of cases are suitable for surgery), radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.... lung cancer
a form of extrinsic allergic *alveolitis seen in people who work with barley.... malt-worker’s lung
an emerging area of imaging that exploits recent developments of molecular and cell biology to create new markers. Most molecular imaging uses versions of these markers labelled with radioactive isotopes, which – after administration – are localized in the body and can be detected using such techniques as *positron emission tomography, *SPECT scanning, *magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging.... molecular imaging
(NSCLC) any type of lung cancer other than *small-cell lung cancer. Such cancers include *adenocarcinoma of the lung, large-cell carcinomas, and squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung.... non-small-cell lung cancer
(SCLC) a type of bronchial carcinoma characterized by small cells (or oat cells), small round or oval cells with darkly staining nuclei and scanty indistinct cytoplasm. Small-cell carcinoma is usually related to smoking and accounts for about one-quarter of bronchial carcinomas; it carries a poor prognosis due to early distant spread, typically to bones, liver, and brain. Treatment is primarily with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and paraneoplastic symptoms (see paraneoplastic syndrome) from *ectopic hormone production are common. Compare non-small-cell lung cancer.... small-cell lung cancer
a technique to image the parathyroid glands. Technetium is taken up only by the thyroid gland, but thallium is taken up by both the thyroid and parathyroid glands. *Digital subtraction of the two isotopes leaves an image of the parathyroid glands alone. It is an accurate technique (90%) for the identification of adenomas of the parathyroid glands secreting excess hormone.... thallium-technetium isotope subtraction imaging
the rapid acquisition and manipulation of ultrasound information from a scanning probe by electronic circuits to enable images to be produced on TV screens almost instantaneously. The operator can place the scanning probe accurately on the region of interest in order to observe its structure and appreciate moving structures within it (see Doppler ultrasound). Using similar techniques, the instantaneous display of other imaging modalities, such as *computerized tomography scanning and *magnetic resonance imaging, can now be achieved. Real-time imaging is useful in guiding *interventional radiology procedures, for example, allowing a needle to be guided accurately as it is passed into the body. It is also useful for observing dynamic physiological activity.... real-time imaging
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