Thoracic

Disease Introduction Spontaneous pneumothorax is more common in tall, thin young men. It is caused by the rupture of a congenitally weak bulla at the apex of the lung, allowing air to leak into the pleural cavity. Symptoms often include sudden onset of unilateral chest pain, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. In cases with small amounts of air and mild lung compression, observation or puncture aspiration may be sufficient. Recurrent, persistent, or hemopneumothorax cases often require thoracoscopic

Disease Introduction Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rate in my country. Early stages are often asymptomatic and are detected through low-dose spiral CT screening. After diagnosis, treatment is selected based on stage and gene type: for operable patients, minimally invasive surgical resection is performed combined with perioperative immunotherapy and targeted therapy; for inoperable or advanced-stage patients, targeted drugs, immunotherapy, and stereotactic radiot

Disease Introduction Pulmonary nodules are round or oval shadows with a diameter of no more than 3 cm found on a CT scan during a physical examination. More than 90% of them are benign, and most do not require immediate surgery. The standard practice is to first assess the risk of benignity or malignancy using thin-section CT combined with AI-assisted interpretation, and then follow up and observe them in layers according to the size and nature of the nodule (solid, ground-glass opacity). Only those that

Disease Introduction COPD is a common, preventable, and treatable chronic airway disease, mainly characterized by persistent cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath on exertion, with progressively worsening airflow limitation. It is commonly seen in long-term smokers or those exposed to dust. The treatment goals are to alleviate symptoms, reduce acute exacerbations, and slow the decline in lung function. Methods include smoking cessation, inhaled medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen the

Disease Introduction Empyema is an infectious disease in which bacteria invade the pleural cavity, forming purulent exudate that accumulates. It often occurs secondary to pneumonia, chest surgery, or trauma, and manifests as fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, and weight loss. Based on the course of the disease, it is divided into the exudative stage, the fibrinous-purulent stage, and the organizing stage. The core of treatment is to drain the pus as early and adequately as possible and control the in

Disease Introduction Thymic carcinoma is a rare mediastinal tumor originating from thymic epithelial cells and significantly more malignant than thymoma. It commonly occurs in the anterior superior mediastinum. Early stages may be asymptomatic, but as it progresses, symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, superior vena cava syndrome, or distant metastases. Treatment primarily involves extensive surgical resection, followed by radiotherapy based on staging. For advanced, unresectable, or recurren

Disease Introduction Mediastinal tumors are masses located in the mediastinal space between the lungs and behind the sternum. Common types include thymomas and teratomas in the anterior mediastinum, and neurogenic tumors such as schwannomas in the posterior mediastinum. Most are discovered incidentally during routine CT scans. Some patients experience chest tightness, chest pain, and cough. Those with thymomas may also experience difficulty lifting their eyelids and weakness in their limbs. Treatment prim

Disease Introduction Chest wall tumors are masses that grow on the bones and soft tissues of the chest wall, including primary bone tumors of the ribs and sternum (most commonly chondrosarcoma) and soft tissue sarcomas, as well as metastatic lesions that have invaded from the lungs, breasts, etc. In the early stages, they often present as a gradually enlarging chest wall mass, which may be accompanied by dull pain or no pain. The core of treatment is to extensively resect the tumor along with the affected

Disease Introduction Pulmonary fibrosis (most typically idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) is a chronic disease in which the lungs gradually harden and thicken, much like scarring on the skin. Symptoms include increasingly severe shortness of breath after exertion and a persistent dry cough. It is a progressive and potentially fatal interstitial lung disease. While irreversible, it can be managed: early use of anti-fibrotic drugs can slow the decline in lung function, and long-term oxygen therapy and pulmonar