Pleuraverdickung

Pleural thickening is a descriptive term given to describe any form of thickening involving either the parietal or visceral pleura.

It can occur with both benign and malignant pleural disease. According to etiology it may be classified as:

• benign pleural thickening
  • following recurrent inflammation
  • following recurrent pneumothoraces
  • following a pleural empyema
  • as a delayed complication of a hemothorax
  • collagen-vascular disease (rheumatoid arthritis, effusion fails to resolve) 
  • related to occupational/inhalational lung disease
    • asbestos-related diffuse pleural disease
    • silicosis related diffuse pleural disease 
• malignant pleural thickening
  • primary malignant pleural disease
    • mesothelioma
    • primary pleural lymphoma
  • pleural metastases
  • ​secondary pleural lymphoma

Pleural thickening can also be classified into various subtypes according to morphology:

• focal pleural thickening
  • pleural plaques
    • calcific pleural plaques
    • hairy pleural plaques
• diffuse pleural thickening
  • circumferential pleural thickening
• nodular pleural thickening

Differential diagnosis

• pleural effusion
• on frontal chest radiograph, the arms may be projected over the lower lateral chest wall, mimicking pleural thickening

See also

• apical pleural cap
• pleural tags
• pleural fibrosis
• pleural calcification
• fibrothorax

Siehe auch:

• Pneumothorax
• Pleuraempyem
• Pleuraplaques
• apikale Pleurakappe
• apikale Pleurakappe
• Fibrothorax
• Mesotheliom
• Pleuraplaques bei Asbestose
• Tumoren der Pleura
• hairy pleural plaques
• malignant pleural thickening
• epipleurales Fett
• benigne diffuse Pleuraverdickung
• diffuse Pleuraverdickung
• noduläre Pleuraverdickung

und weiter:

• Pleurakuppenschwielen
• pulmonale Manifestationen rheumatoide Arthritis
• pulmonary nocardiosis
• Tafelberg Asbest