Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space. Normally it's filled with a small amount of fluid. The fluid helps the two layers of the pleura glide smoothly past each other as your lungs breathe air in and out.
Disorders of the pleura include
- Pleurisy – inflammation of the pleura that causes sharp pain with breathing
- Pleural effusion – excess fluid in the pleural space
- Pneumothorax – buildup of air or gas in the pleural space
- Hemothorax – buildup of blood in the pleural space
Many different conditions can cause pleural problems. Viral infection is the most common cause of pleurisy. The most common cause of pleural effusion is congestive heart failure. Lung diseases, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, and acute lung injury, cause pneumothorax. Injury to the chest is the most common cause of hemothorax. Treatment focuses on removing fluid, air, or blood from the pleural space, relieving symptoms, and treating the underlying condition.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
-
Pleurisy and Other Pleural Disorders
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pleurisy/pleurisy_whatare.html
- Pleural Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec04/ch052/ch052a.html
- Pleurisy and Pleural Effusion(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/23663.html
-
Thoracentesis(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/thor/thor_whatis.html
-
Cardiopulmonary Syndromes (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/cardiopulmonary/Patient/page1
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/cuidados-medicos-apoyo/cardiopulmonares/patient
- Epidemic Pleurodynia(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/24698.html
- Pleurisy(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2060321&content_id={653829A9-6104-4561-BFC5-528F5419BEC2}¬oc=1
- Pleurisy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/pleurisy/DS00244/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Pneumothorax(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/pneumothorax/DS00943/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Spontaneous Pneumothorax(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2060727&content_id={1D74DC3D-E1AF-4FFB-A314-CC584935C391}¬oc=1
-
How the Lungs Work(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hlw/hlw_what.html
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pleural Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Pleural+Diseases%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pleural Effusion(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Pleural+Effusion%22
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pleurisy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Pleurisy%22
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pneumothorax(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Pneumothorax%22
- Article: Bedside echocardiographic assessment for trauma/critical care: the BEAT exam. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18722929&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Pre- and postoperative cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in hospitalized patients undergoing coronary... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18716482&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Scapula fractures: a marker for concomitant injury? A retrospective review... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18695481&tool=MedlinePlus
- Pleural Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=pleural+diseases[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary (Lungs)(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=40415
- American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
-
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
- Breathing Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breathingproblems.html
- Lung Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungdiseases.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Pleural Disorders is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/