Pulmonary pathology

Pulmonary Pathology is a subspecialty of pathology that deals with the diagnosis and characterization of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of the lungs and thoracic pleura. Diagnostic specimens are often obtained via bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, or thoracotomy.

Overview

Pulmonary Pathology is a branch of pathology that focuses on diseases that affect the lungs and respiratory system. This includes conditions such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and asthma. Pulmonary pathologists use a variety of diagnostic techniques, including microscopy, immunohistochemistry, molecular pathology, and electron microscopy to diagnose and study these diseases.

Diseases and Conditions

Pulmonary pathology encompasses a wide range of diseases and conditions. Some of the most common include:

• Pneumonia: An infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs.
• Tuberculosis: A serious bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs.
• Lung Cancer: A type of cancer that begins in the lungs.
• Asthma: A condition in which a person's airways become inflamed, narrow and swell, and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs.
• Pulmonary Fibrosis: A lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred.

Diagnostic Techniques

Pulmonary pathologists use a variety of diagnostic techniques to diagnose and study diseases of the lungs. These include:

• Microscopy: The use of a microscope to examine cells and tissues in detail.
• Immunohistochemistry: A technique used to diagnose and study diseases by staining tissues with antibodies.
• Molecular Pathology: The study of diseases at a molecular level, including the study of genes and proteins.
• Electron Microscopy: A technique that uses a beam of electrons to create an image of the specimen.

See Also

• Pathology
• Lungs
• Respiratory System
• Bronchoscopy
• Thoracentesis
• Thoracotomy