Lung calcifications usually make us think badly. It is a symptom that is very often described after a chest X-ray has been performed. Unfortunately, such a description does not provide an answer as to what caused the calcification and whether it is a benign lesion or not. Lung calcifications are most common after some lung conditions, including tuberculosis. They can also be the result of autoimmune diseases. What are the symptoms of lung calcification? How is their treatment going?

Contents:

  1. Lung calcification - what is it?
  2. Lung calcification - causes
  3. Lung calcification - symptoms
  4. Lung calcification - treatment

Calcified deposits in the lungscan form for a variety of reasons. Most of the so-called common calcifications in the lungs do not give any symptoms, but finding them in an x-ray or computed tomography description raises a justified concern.

Lung calcification - what is it?

The general definition is that calcification is a granular deposit of which the basic building block is calcium s alts deposited in excess. Their formation may occur in various tissues and organs. Calcifications in the lungs and pleura are the most common, but they can also occur in other parts of the respiratory system, such as the wall of the trachea or the bronchi.

Calcifications also form in blood vessels and in the lymph nodes. They can be single or multiple, and they can also vary in size. They are usually shaped like a coffee bean.

Calcifications in the lungs, but also in other organs, are usually detected incidentally.

Lung calcification - causes

Lung calcifications by themselves are not considered a disease. Most often it is a remnant of a previous lung disease.

Calcifications can occur even after common infections or indicate a history of tuberculosis.

In addition, some autoimmune diseases (autoimmune diseases) affect the condition of the lung parenchyma. These include sarcoidosis and amyloidosis.

Also, acute ischemia of the lung parenchyma, called a pulmonary infarction, can lead to calcification in the lungs.

People working in harmful conditions and regularly inhaling are also exposed to calcification of the lungsair polluted with dust. This group includes employees of cement plants and mills, as well as bakers and employees of textile factories and sewing factories. These people usually suffer from pneumoconiosis, a disease that manifests itself in the formation of deposits in the lungs.

Calcification in the lungs can also be a reminder of parasitic diseases that influenced the remodeling of lung tissue.

Lung calcification - symptoms

As already mentioned, the presence of calcifications in the lungs does not give any symptoms, and the lesions themselves are detected randomly. However, when there are a lot of calcifications or they are located in sensitive areas of the lung tissue, they can cause some ailments.

Massive calcifications in the lungs inactivate some tissue and exclude it from the gas exchange process. In such cases, the respiratory surface of the lungs will be smaller, which will translate into a much lower tolerance of exercise, feeling breathlessness during exercise (in extreme cases also at rest). There may also be a "strange" cough that is not accompanied by other symptoms of infection.

Lung calcification - treatment

The presence of calcifications in the lungs that do not affect performance in everyday life and do not restrict physical activity does not require treatment. Usually, these are benign changes that do not turn into, for example, neoplastic changes.

However, whether this is actually the case should be decided by the doctor after looking at the x-rays and reading the test description.

It is therefore necessary to consult a doctor who will describe the size of the lesions and their location in the medical records. He will not recommend any treatment, but he will be able to refer the patient to a checkup from time to time.

Recording the presence, size and location of calcifications in future radiological examinations will be a reference scale and will be a method of monitoring the possible progression of the disease.

If lung deposits are a consequence of a systemic disease, parasitic disease, or tuberculosis, it may be necessary to extend the diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice "Crystal Pen" in a nationwide competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the National AssociationJournalists for He alth.

Read more articles by this author

Category:

He alth