alveolitis

1. Inflammation of lung alveoli. 2. Inflammation of a tooth socket.

- acute pulmonary a. acute inflammation involving exudate into the pulmonary alveoli and impaired gas exchange such as occurs in a host of interstitial lung diseases, including diffuse alveolar damage, drug-induced lung disease, and acute immunologic injury.

- chronic fibrosing a. SYN: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

- cryptogenic fibrosing a. SYN: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

- extrinsic allergic a. pneumoconiosis resulting from hypersensitivity due to repeated inhalation of organic dust, usually specified according to occupational exposure; in the acute form, respiratory symptoms and fever start several hours after exposure to the dust; in the chronic form, there is eventual diffuse pulmonary fibrosis after exposure over several years.

- fibrosing a. SYN: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

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al·ve·o·li·tis al-.vē-ə-'līt-əs, .al-vē- n inflammation of one or more alveoli esp. of the lung

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n.

inflammation of an alveolus or alveoli. Chronic inflammation of the walls of the alveoli of the lungs is usually caused by inhaled organic dusts (extrinsic allergic alveolitis; see bird-fancier's lung, farmer's lung) but may occur spontaneously (cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis). The latter may be associated with connective tissue diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic sclerosis. Both types of alveolitis may progress slowly to a state of fibrosis, and both types usually respond to corticosteroid and immunosuppressant therapy if the fibrosis is not severe.

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al·ve·o·li·tis (al″ve-o-liґtis) 1. inflammation of a pulmonary alveolus. 2. inflammation of a dental alveolus; called also odontobothritis.