pleurisy n : inflammation of the pleura of the lungs (especially the parietal layer)

English

Noun

pleurisy (plural pleurises)

1. Inflammation of lung pleura.

Translations

• Dutch: pleuris
• French: pleurésie
• German: Brustfellentzündung
• Vietnamese: viêm màng phổi

Derived terms

• pleuritic

Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs, which can cause painful respiration (also called pleuritic chest pain) and other symptoms. Pleurisy can be generated by a variety of infectious and non-infectious causes. The effects of pleurisy can often be felt long after the condition has gone away.

Causes

• Bronchial carcinoma
• Lung or chest wall abscess
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary infarction
• Tuberculosis

Symptoms

• Inspiratory chest pain
• Cough
• Chills
• Shortness of breath
• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Pain may limit chest expansion on affected side.
• Rapid shallow breaths
• Inability to take a deep breath
• Itching in sites on the back (near the site of the lungs, but no visible rashes)
• Dizziness
• tiredness

Famous cases

• William Wordsworth, English poet, died after being diagnosed with pleurisy in 1850.
• Thomas Hardy Famous Writer (The Withered Arm, The Son's Veto and many more)
• Benjamin Franklin nearly died from pleurisy at the age of 21.
• Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. was diagnosed with pleurisy in April 2007.
• Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player LeBron James was diagnosed with pleurisy on October 14, 2005.
• Charlemagne, known as the father of Europe for reuniting much of the Roman Empire, died in 813 of pleurisy.
• Philosopher Edmund Husserl died of pleurisy in 1938.
• English actor Sir Laurence Olivier suffered from pleurisy many times in his final years, and was recovering from the disease while filming The Ebony Tower in 1984.
• Actor Rudolph Valentino suffered from pleurisy when he died in 1926.
• French Queen Catherine de Medici died from pleurisy 1589.
• Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher and the "father of communism", died of pleurisy in 1883.
• St. Dominic Savio, one of the youngest Catholic saints to be canonized, died of pluerisy at the age of 14.
• Hernando Cortes, The Conquerer of Mexico died of pleurisy in 1547.
• Carson McCullers, author of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, was diagnosed with pleurisy in 1944.http://www.carson-mccullers.com/mccullers/timeline.htm

References in literature

• In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, reference is made to Laura Wingfield's bout with pleurosis during high school. At the time, Laura entertained timid but romantic feelings for Jim, who upon asking about her absence, mistakenly hears her say "blue roses" and carelessly adopts the moniker for her.
• In Eugene O'Neill's Beyond the Horizon, the main character of Robert comes down with pleurisy.
• In The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe, the main character, Colin Smith, contracts pleurisy.
• In the J. D. Salinger short story Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters, the protagonist Buddy Glass is recovering from a bout of pleurisy (and has his chest tightly bound as a result).

References

External links

• The Lung Association of Canada explanation of Pleurisy (also available in French)

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