Lung and Heart–Lung Transplantation
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology To date, more than 30,000 lung and 2600 heart–lung transplantations have been reported to the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant Registry. Since…
Esophageal Cancer
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Esophageal adenocarcinoma is the fastest growing solid malignancy in the United States. Pathophysiology Barrett metaplasia is the precursor lesion to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Clinical feature…
Benign and Malignant Pleural Tumors
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Pleural tumors are a small but significant subset of thoracic malignancies. The majority of pleural tumors tend to be malignant and mesothelioma is the…
Esophageal Perforation
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Iatrogenic instrumentation (e.g., endoscopy, dilatation, tube passage, etc.) has replaced spontaneous rupture as the leading cause of esophageal perforation and accounts for 60 to…
Congenital Esophageal Anomalies
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA–TEF) occurs in 1 in 3400. Esophageal duplication cysts represent 10 to 15 percent of foregut duplication cysts and…
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Esophageal Motility Disorders
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most frequently encountered problems seen in clinical practice today. It is estimated that 60 million adults…
Mediastinal Disease
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Thymic tumors are the most common primary neoplasm of the anterior mediastinum, accounting for about 20 percent of anterior mediastinal masses. Their peak incidence…
Benign Diffuse Pulmonary Disorders
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Epidemiology Diffuse benign pulmonary disorders cover a broad range of primary lung diseases and can be associated with systemic disorders. Pathophysiology Most benign pulmonary disorders…
Esophageal Physiology, Function Tests, and Endoscopic Techniques
Key Concepts Print Section Listen Physiology The basic function of the esophagus is to propagate a bolus from the oropharynx to the stomach. The coordination of esophageal muscle contractions, vagal…
Benign Pleural Disorders
Key Concepts Print Section Listen The pleura are anatomically and physiologically distinct structures. The pleural cavities are formed early during embryonic development from the intraembryonic coelom. Anatomically, the pleura are…
