pleurisy /plo͝or″əsē/ [Gk, pleura + itis, inflammation] , inflammation of the parietal pleura of the lungs. It is characterized by dyspnea and stabbing pain, leading to restriction of ordinary breathing with spasm of the chest on the affected side. A pleural friction rub may be heard on auscultation. Simple pleurisy with undetectable exudate is called fibrinous or dry pleurisy. Pleural effusion indicates extensive inflammation with considerable amounts of exudate in the pleural spaces. Common causes of pleurisy include bronchial carcinoma, lung or chest wall abscess, pneumonia, pulmonary infarction, and tuberculosis. The condition may result in permanent adhesions between the pleura and adjacent surfaces. Treatment consists of pain relief and therapy for the primary disease. See also acute pleurisy, adhesive pleurisy, pleural effusion, pleurodynia, pulmonary edema. −pleuritic, adj.
