Long consolidation shows up when air in the lungs is replaced with pus, blood, or fluid.
Consolidation indicates a health issue.
Causes of consolidation include pneumonia, aspiration, and lung cancer.
Eyesfoto / Getty Images
Eyesfoto / Getty Images
What Are the Symptoms of Lung Consolidation?
The symptoms of lung consolidation depend on what is causing it.
Symptoms that are common to all of these conditions include cough and shortness of breath.
People with pneumonia, lung cancer, or heart disease may experience chest pain or wheezing.
Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) may be seen with pneumonia, lung cancer, or pulmonary hemorrhage.
Pneumonia is often associated with fevers.
What Causes Lung Consolidation?
A variety of conditions can cause lung consolidation.
Pneumonia
Pneumoniarefers to inflammation of the lung tissue.
When most people use the term, they are referring to inflammation brought on by bacterial or viral infection.
This inflammation causes the air spaces of the lung to fill with fluid or pus.
Pulmonary Edema
The term “edema” means swelling.
Pulmonary edema, then, refers to swelling of the lung tissue.
As pulmonary edema progresses, the air spaces can fill with fluid, causing consolidation.
This includes certain types of infection, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary vasculitis, lung cancer, or autoimmune diseases.
Aspiration
Inpulmonary aspiration, foreign substances are inhaled into the lungs.
Food, water, blood, or gastric acid may be accidentally aspirated.
Atelectasis
Atelectasisrefers to the collapse of lung tissue.
Mild cases of atelectasis are often seen in people who just had surgery.
It is thought to be due to blockage of thesmall lung airwaysby secretions.
Other causes of atelectasis include blockage of a large lung airway or compression of the lung by fluid collection.
On imaging, atelectasis appears as areas of consolidation and is often hard to distinguish from pneumonia or aspiration.
Your history and physical exam findings may help your care provider distinguish between atelectasis and other conditions.
It may appear as a rounded nodule or mass, which may be described as a “spot.”
Sometimes, signs of lung cancer do not appear clearly on scans.
It can cause consolidation that is difficult to distinguish from pneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhage, or other diseases.
If lung cancer blocks a normal airway, it may cause pneumonia as a complication (post-obstructive pneumonia).
Lung consolidation that doesn’t go away after treatment raises the suspicion of lung cancer.
Whats the Difference Between Lung Consolidation and Pleural Effusion?
Pleural effusion is the buildup of fluid between the chest cavity and the tissue lining the lungs.
This is different than lung consolidation, which is fluid or other material that consolidates inside the lung.
How Is Lung Consolidation Diagnosed?
Lung consolidation may be first identified during a physical examination by a healthcare provider.
They may then order imaging of the chestoften a chest X-ray or CT scanto confirm that consolidation is present.
The cause of consolidation on imaging may not be immediately obvious.
They will look for conditions that place you at risk for aspiration or diseases that cause pulmonary hemorrhage.
Sometimes the appearance of lung consolidation on imaging can be helpful in determining the cause.
Consolidation related totuberculosis(TB) infection is often located in the upper lungs.
This can be obtained with a lung biopsy.
How Is Lung Consolidation Treated?
The treatment of consolidation depends on the cause.
If aspiration causes pneumonia, it will likely be treated with antibiotics.
Depending on the pop in and stage of cancer, treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation.
It may be because of atelectasis, infection, pulmonary hemorrhage, aspiration, or lung cancer.
“Consolidation” pops up if the air spaces of the lungs are filled with something other than air.
In pneumonia, the pulmonary air spaces may fill with fluid, causing them to be “consolidated.”
The causes of lung consolidation can range from fairly benign to truly life-threatening.
Your prognosis depends on what is causing the consolidation and what other diseases you have (comorbidities).
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