Etymed
pleuritis
Definition
inflammation of the pleura, the membrane that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs
Clinical context
A 22-year-old male presents to the emergency department with sudden onset sharp chest pain that worsens with deep breathing and coughing. He has no significant past medical history and is a non-smoker. On examination, he has decreased breath sounds on the right side and a friction rub is heard on auscultation. A chest X-ray shows no infiltrates but there is evidence of pleural effusion.
Mnemonic
PLEURITIS = PLeura inflammation causing Sharp pain with Breathing, and may have a friction rub