PNEUMOTHORAX

pneu·mo·tho·rax   (nōō'mō-thôr'āks', -thōr'-, nyōō'-)    n.  Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity, occurring as a result of disease or injury, or sometimes induced to collapse the lung in the treatment of tuberculosis and other lung diseases.

Main Entry: pneu·mo·tho·rax
Pronunciation: "n(y)ü-m&-'thO(&)r-"aks, -'tho(&)r-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural pneu·mo·tho·rax·es or pneu·mo·tho·ra·ces /-'thOr-&-"sEz/
1 : an abnormal statecharacterized by the presence of gas (as air) in the pleural cavity —see TENSION PNEUMOTHORAX; —compareOLEOTHORAX
2 : the induction of pneumothorax as a therapeutic measure to collapse the lung or as an aidto radiography

pneumothorax pneu·mo·tho·rax (n&oomacr;'mō-thôr'āks', ny&oomacr;'-)
n.
Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity, occurring as a result of disease or injury or as a treatment of tuberculosis and other lung diseases.

pneumothorax   (n'mō-thôr'āks')  Pronunciation Key  Accumulation of a gas, such as air, in the space between the pleurae of the lungs and the pleurae lining the chest wall (called the pleural cavity), occurring as a result of disease or injury or induced to collapse the lung in the treatment of tuberculosis and other lung diseases. A large pneumothorax is treated by inserting a syringe or a tube into the pleural cavity to aspirate air, which helps the collapsed lung to expand.