Knowra Atelectasis Atelectasis Atelectasis is partial or complete loss of air from lung tissue, causing affected alveoli to collapse and reducing ventilation. It can result from airway obstruction, external compression, or impaired lung expansion.
Obstructive atelectasis : Collapse of lung tissue after an airway blockage prevents air from reaching it. A blocked airway traps the mechanism in which gas beyond the obstruction is absorbed.
Postoperative atelectasis : Atelectasis occurring after surgery, often associated with shallow breathing, pain, or retained secretions. It is a frequent clinical form, especially after operations involving the chest or abdomen.
Chest radiography : Medical imaging that uses X-rays to produce pictures of the chest and lungs. It commonly reveals volume loss and helps locate atelectatic regions.
Hypoxemia : An abnormally low level of oxygen in arterial blood. Reduced ventilation in collapsed regions can lower blood oxygen, especially when collapse is extensive.
Pneumothorax : Air in the pleural space that can impair lung expansion. Both can cause reduced lung volume, but pneumothorax is air outside the lung.
Compressive atelectasis : Collapse of lung tissue caused by pressure from outside the lung. Pleural fluid, air, or a mass can compress lung tissue without blocking its airway.
Middle lobe syndrome : Recurrent or persistent collapse of the right middle lobe, often associated with impaired drainage or obstruction. This named pattern shows how airway anatomy can favor recurrent collapse in one lobe.
Computed tomography : An imaging method that combines X-ray measurements to create cross-sectional images of the body. It can clarify the cause of collapse when a chest radiograph is inconclusive.
Ventilation-perfusion mismatch : An imbalance between airflow to lung regions and their blood supply. Atelectatic regions may remain perfused despite receiving little air.
Pleural effusion : An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space. An effusion may compress lung tissue and cause atelectasis, but is not the collapse itself.
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