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- emphysema
- (em-fi-sE-ma)
- A condition of the lung characterized by increase beyond the normal in the size of air spaces, with destructive changes in their walls and reduction in their number. Symptoms are undue breathlessness on exertion, due to the combined effect (in varying degrees) of reduction of alveolar (air sac) surface for gas exchange, ventilation-perfusion imbalance, and collapse of smaller airways with trapping of alveolar gas occurring predominantly in expiration; this causes the chest to be held in the position of inspiration ("barrel chest"), with prolonged expiration and increased residual volume; symptoms of chronic bronchitis often, but not necessarily, coexist.
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