Patient's question:
Recently, I've been experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath. The hospital examination suggested a respiratory disease, but the medication hasn't been very effective. Recently, my cough has worsened. Could you please tell me what symptoms might occur with complications of pleural disease?Doctor's answer:
Severe chest pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, etc. The affected chest wall has limited mobility, appears full, and shows dullness on percussion with reduced or absent breath sounds. Enlarged lymph nodes may be present in the supraclavicular fossa and axilla.Pleural adhesion is the most common complication of this disease. After chest fluid is aspirated from the patient, it often reappears quickly. Chemical agents are then injected into the pleural cavity to cause pleural adhesion. In most cases, the chest fluid is controlled and the infection is resolved.
The parietal pleura in the central part of the diaphragm is innervated by the phrenic nerve. Inflammation in these areas can cause pain that radiates to the neck and shoulder. The visceral pleura lacks pain nerve receptors.