Pleural Disease

Hemothorax

This condition happens when a build-up of blood forms in the pleural cavity, and is often triggered by chest trauma, lung cancer or chest/heart surgery.

Symptoms can include:

• chest pain

• shortness of breath

• anxiety or restlessness

• an increased heart rate

• respiratory failure

Pleural effusion

This is one of the most common problems with the pleura. It’s when a build-up of excess fluid in the pleural cavity pushes against the lungs, stopping the lungs from expanding fully, and making it hard to breathe. 

Pleural effusion can be caused by many different conditions, such as:

• congestive heart failure

• lung cancer

• pneumonia

• tuberculosis

• liver disease

• pulmonary embolism

• lupus

• bad reactions to specific medicines

Pleural effusion might not cause any symptoms, but shortness of breath and a cough are common.

Empyema

When a buildup of pus forms in the pleural cavity. It’s a type of pleural effusion usually linked to pneumonia that causes a cough, fever, shortness of breath, and trouble breathing.

Pleural tumours

Pleural tumours can be cancerous and begin in the pleura, spread to it from another part of the body, or be benign tumours starting in the pleura.

They tend to cause:

• shortness of breath

• chest pain

• a cough

• unexpected weight loss

Pleurisy

Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura, often caused by a viral or bacterial infection. It leads to chest pain when taking a deep breath, shortness of breath, a fever and/or chills, joint swelling or soreness, and unexpected weight loss.

Pleurisy can also be caused by:

• a punctured lung

• a chest injury

• tuberculosis or another infection

• a tumour in the pleural cavity

• rheumatoid arthritis

• lupus

• sickle cell crisis

• a pulmonary embolism

• pancreatitis

• complications from heart surgery

Pneumothorax (a collapsed lung)

This condition is when air fills the pleural cavity between the outside of the lung and the inside of the rib cage. It’s often caused by an injury to the lung, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other lung diseases, tuberculosis, or ruptured air blisters. 

Pneumothorax can cause many different symptoms, such as:

• sudden sharp pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply 

• shortness of breath

• chest tightness

• fatigue

• fast heart rate

• a bluish skin colour

Pleural disease can be diagnosed based on your symptoms, medical history, and a physical examination.

If the specialist suspects you have a pleural disease, you will also need:

• a chest X-ray

• a CT scan

It’s not always possible to completely avoid pleural disease, but you may be able to lower your risk by:

• not smoking

• preventing or treating infections, such as pneumonia, by getting vaccinated and practising good hygiene

• managing underlying chronic conditions, such as heart failure and kidney disease

• avoiding environmental toxins, like asbestos

• following a healthy diet

If left untreated, pleural diseases can cause serious complications, such as:

• an infection that becomes an abscess

• scarring around the lungs

• damage to your lungs

• re-expansion pulmonary oedema

• respiratory failure

• heart failure

Treatments for pleural disease can vary depending on the type of disease you have. They include:

• placement of a chest tube to remove air

• draining fluid with a needle or a chest tube

• opening the chest to remove diseased pleura (decortication)

• scraping away the pleural surface to attach the lung to the chest wall – often needed for recurrent pneumothorax

• removal of the pleura and/or the problem lung, if a cancerous tumour is the cause

At Welbeck, our lung specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.