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Ency. home > Disease > P > Pleurisy

Pleurisy

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Pleuritis; Pleuritic chest pain

Symptoms

Recent or present respiratory illness with its symptoms

Localized chest pain on the chest wall

Pain with each breath
Worsened by coughing
Worsened by deep breathing

Signs and Tests

Physical examination may show abnormal lung sounds:

A friction rub -- a rough scratchy sound that accompanies inspiration and expiration
Rales (may be present if there is an accompanying pneumonia)
Rhonchi (may be present with accompanying pneumonia or bronchitic process)
Decreased breath sounds (may be present if there is a collection of fluid around the lung

Tests:

CBC (may help differentiate bacterial versus viral infection)
X-ray of the chest
Ultrasound of the chest
Thoracentesis (a collection of fluid from the pleural cavity)

Ency. home > Disease > P > Pleurisy

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