What does patchy infiltrates in the lungs mean?

What does patchy infiltrates in the lungs mean?

A poorly defined area of lung consolidation seen on the chest radiograph as scattered opacification within normal lung tissue. It is usually caused by a mixture of normally aerated and infected lung lobules.

What does alveolar infiltrate mean?

A pulmonary infiltrate is a substance denser than air, such as pus, blood, or protein, which lingers within the parenchyma of the lungs. Pulmonary infiltrates are associated with pneumonia, and tuberculosis.

What is infiltration in chest xray?

Chest x-ray: An x-ray exam will allow your doctor to see your lungs, heart and blood vessels to help determine if you have pneumonia. When interpreting the x-ray, the radiologist will look for white spots in the lungs (called infiltrates) that identify an infection.

Can asthma cause lung infiltrates?

The occurrence of eosinophilic pneumonia can prove fatal during a serious asthma attack. Additionally, the presence of peripheral eosinophilia with lung infiltrates poses a diagnostic challenge for clinicians by creating suspicion of pulmonary infiltrate with eosinophilia when present in asthmatic patients.

Is lung infiltrate an infection?

Pulmonary infiltrates can have infectious or noninfectious causes (Box 96.3). Although signs and symptoms can occur throughout the transplantation period, viral infections are more common during the early engraftment period.

What is a patchy infiltrate on the lung?

patchy infiltrate. A poorly defined area of lung consolidation seen on the chest radiograph as scattered opacification within normal lung tissue. It is usually caused by a mixture of normally aerated and infected lung lobules. See also: infiltrate.

What do you need to know about the alveolar infiltrate?

Opacification of air spaces, caused by the filling of alveoli with blood, pus, or fluid. Alveolar infiltrates are seen on the chest radiograph as patchy areas of increased density, often surrounding air bronchograms. Want to thank TFD for its existence?

What is the definition of a pulmonary infiltrate?

From a pathophysiological perspective, the term “infiltrate” refers to “an abnormal substance that accumulates gradually within cells or body tissues” or “any substance or type of cell that occurs within or spreads as through the interstices (interstitium and/or alveoli) of the lung, that is foreign to the lung,

What causes patchy infiltrate on the chest radiograph?

A poorly defined area of lung consolidation seen on the chest radiograph as scattered opacification within normal lung tissue. It is usually caused by a mixture of normally aerated and infected lung lobules.