What disease is there with cavities in the lungs

Cavities in the lungs, also known as pulmonary cavitation, are often a symptom caused by lung disease. There are many causes of pulmonary cavitation, the most common of which is tuberculosis, which accounts for about 40% of pulmonary cavitation. In addition, lung cancer and lung abscess are important causes of lung cavitation, which are particularly harmful to patients and are prone to manifest in a variety of symptoms, so good treatment should be carried out in a timely manner.

What is a cavity in the lung?

1. Peripheral bronchogenic lung cancer: The incidence of cavitation in peripheral bronchogenic lung cancer is 2-16%, of which squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 80%, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma account for 20%, and bronchoalveolar carcinoma may develop cavitation or thin-walled cystic lesions, single or multiple. Small cell undifferentiated carcinoma generally does not cause cavitation.

2. Pulmonary tuberculosis: Cavities account for about 40% of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults. It is mainly seen in secondary pulmonary tuberculosis, and a few primary lesions may also form cavities. The cavities may be thick-walled or thin-walled. Tuberculosis cavities are divided into: (1) Cavities infiltrated caseous lesions: Cavities formed after caseous necrosis occurs in infiltrated lesions. The cavity wall is relatively thin, mainly composed of proliferating tuberculous granulation tissue, and the inner wall is a thin layer of caseous substance. (2) Fibrous caseous cavities and caseous cavities: These are cavities that occur in tuberculomas or caseous lesions. The cavity walls have a thick caseous layer and a thinner tuberculous granulation tissue and fibrous capsule. The fibrous capsule of the tuberculoma is intact.

(3) Fibrous cavity: It has a typical three-layer structure of caseous necrosis, tuberculous granulation tissue and fibrous tissue. Fibrous tissue is the main component of the cavity wall. Due to the contraction and pulling of the fibrous tissue, the cavity shape is irregular.

3. Lung abscess: The wall of acute lung abscess is mainly composed of inflammatory exudative lesions, while the wall of chronic lung abscess is mainly composed of fibrous tissue. Abscesses occur after pneumonia, as a result of aspiration, and as a result of extrapulmonary extension, as occurs with amebic lung abscesses.

4. Pulmonary mycosis: mainly seen in Cryptococcus neoformans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.

5. Pneumoconiosis cavities: Cavities often occur on the basis of progressive pneumoconiosis fusion masses and are often accompanied by tuberculosis. The cavitary lesions are large and irregular in shape, with predominantly thick walls of uneven thickness.

Multiple cavities

1. Pulmonary tuberculosis: Any tuberculosis cavities can be multiple, most of which are bronchial disseminated tuberculosis cavities.

2. Pulmonary metastases: About 4% of lung metastatic nodules have cavities, with squamous cell carcinoma being the most common, accounting for 69% of lung metastatic cavities in X-ray examinations. However, according to CT examinations, 9.5% of adenocarcinoma metastases have cavities, and squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 10%. Common primary malignant tumors that can cause cavitary lung metastasis include squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract, and breast cancer. The cave walls range from irregularly thick to very thin and smooth. Thin-walled metastatic cavities are often caused by primary sarcomas and adenocarcinomas.

3. Hematogenous multiple lung abscess cavities: caused by Staphylococcus aureus sepsis.

4. Fungi: Mainly seen in cryptococcal and invasive mycosis.

5. Other diseases: pneumoconiosis, parasites (mainly Paragonimus), collagen-vascular diseases, rheumatoid nodules, granulomas (Wegener's granulomatosis, sarcoidosis, eosinophilic granuloma), vascular diseases (septic emboli, mostly caused by trauma or intravascular catheter retention, causing multiple small vessel thrombosis and purulent inflammation and cavitation), malignant lymphoma and histiocytosis, etc.