Primary bronchogenic carcinoma (commonly called lung cancer) is a malignant tumor that originates in the bronchial mucosa or glands. Early diagnosis of lung cancer is inadequate, and its prognosis is very poor. It is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rates. With advances in diagnostic methods, the development of new chemotherapy drugs…
Respiratory failure is a clinical syndrome caused by severe impairment of pulmonary ventilation and/or gas exchange for various reasons, such that effective gas exchange cannot be maintained. It leads to hypoxemia (O₂), with or without carbon dioxide (CO₂) retention, and consequently to a series of physiological and metabolic disturbances. Clinically, respiratory failure is classified by…
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific type of chronic, progressive, fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause that occurs in adults. Its imaging and/or histologic pattern is consistent with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this condition falls within the categories of “lung atrophy” (fei wei) and “lung impediment” (fei bi), among…
Chronic cor pulmonale is a heart disease in which damage to the structure and function of the lungs from various causes leads to right-sided heart damage. Its main pathological change is right ventricular hypertrophy. It generally takes 10–20 years for underlying lung disease to progress to cor pulmonale. Acute exacerbations are more common in winter…
Bronchial asthma (asthma for short) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease involving multiple cells, including inflammatory cells in the airways and structural cells (such as eosinophils, mast cells, T lymphocytes, neutrophils, smooth muscle cells, and airway epithelial cells), as well as cellular components. This chronic inflammation causes airway hyperresponsiveness, typically with widespread, variable, reversible airflow…
Cough lasting ≥8 weeks, with no significant abnormalities on chest X-ray and no clear evidence of lung disease, is generally defined as chronic cough. Because it has many possible causes, diagnosis and treatment can sometimes be quite challenging. Four causes are currently considered the most common: cough variant asthma (CVA), upper airway cough syndrome (UACS)…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable and treatable disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation. The airflow limitation is progressive and is associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response of the airways and lungs to harmful particles or gases. Acute exacerbations and comorbidities affect the overall severity of the disease. COPD primarily affects…
Resistance to medication is not a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concept. Drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis is entirely unfamiliar within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine. It refers essentially to cases in which the causative microorganisms are resistant to currently used Western antituberculosis drugs. However, this patient group is characterized by difficulty achieving a cure and may…
Bronchiectasis is the pathological, permanent dilation of the bronchial tree caused by various factors. It is a chronic airway inflammation that leads to recurrent suppurative infections. Bronchiectasis is a common chronic respiratory disease with a long course and irreversible structural changes. Recurrent infections, particularly in widespread bronchiectasis, can severely damage lung tissue and function, substantially…
A lung abscess (pulmonary abscess, PA) is a suppurative lesion of lung tissue caused by one or more pathogens. It begins as suppurative pneumonia, followed by necrosis and liquefaction, leading to abscess formation. It is clinically characterized by sudden onset of high fever, chills, cough, and copious foul-smelling purulent sputum; chest X-rays show one or…
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) refers to an infectious inflammation of the lung parenchyma (including the alveolar walls, or pulmonary interstitium in the broader sense) acquired outside a hospital. This includes pneumonia caused by pathogens with a defined incubation period that develops during that period after hospital admission. Pneumonia acquired in hospital and developing after discharge is…
Acute tracheobronchitis (急性气管-支气管炎) is an acute inflammation of the tracheobronchial mucosa caused by biological, physical or chemical irritants, or by factors such as allergies. Cases are usually sporadic, without a tendency to occur in outbreaks; older adults and people in poor health may be more susceptible. The main clinical symptoms are cough and sputum production….
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza viruses and is one of the major public health concerns facing humanity. Influenza epidemics are characterized by sudden outbreaks and rapid spread, resulting in epidemics of varying severity, and are seasonal. In northern China, influenza commonly occurs in winter, while…
The common cold is a mild, self-limiting upper respiratory tract infection. It is characterized primarily by catarrhal symptoms affecting the nose and pharynx, such as nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, fever, cough, and headache. Common pathogens include rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, influenza viruses, parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, coxsackieviruses, and adenoviruses, with rhinoviruses and coronaviruses being the…
