This category covers the anatomy behind asbestos-related disease, the specific structures where these illnesses take hold. Reports and scans are full of terms for parts of the body most people never had reason to learn. Knowing what they mean makes your own medical records far easier to follow.
Mesothelioma starts in the mesothelium, the thin lining around the body's cavities. That lining goes by different names depending on location. Around the lungs it's the pleura, split into the visceral pleura against the lung and the parietal pleura against the chest wall. In the abdomen it's the peritoneum, and in men it can involve the tunica vaginalis around the testis. Nearby you'll see the mediastinum, the space between the lungs, and the alveoli, the tiny air sacs where the lungs do their work.
You'll find entries on lymph nodes, serous cavities, the diaphragm, and terms like bilateral and ipsilateral that describe where findings appear. Every term below links to a full plain-language definition.
Terms in this category
- 13 Peritoneal RegionsThe 13 Peritoneal Regions are a standardized anatomical map dividing the abdominal cavity into thirteen zones…
- Alveolar CompartmentThe alveolar compartment is the deepest region of the lung, made up of millions of tiny air sacs (alveoli) wh…
- Alveolar MacrophageAn alveolar macrophage is a specialized immune cell that patrols the tiny air sacs (alveoli) deep in the lung…
- AlveoliAlveoli are the tiny, thin-walled air sacs at the ends of the airways where oxygen passes into the bloodstrea…
- ApicesThe apices are the uppermost, rounded tips of the lungs, sitting just above the collarbone on each side of th…
- BasilarBasilar means "at the base." In chest imaging and lung medicine, it refers to the lower portions of the lungs…
- BilateralBilateral means "on both sides." In medicine, it describes a finding, structure, or disease that involves bot…
- BronchusA bronchus is one of the large airways that branches from the windpipe (trachea) and carries air into the lun…
- ClubbingClubbing is a painless change in the shape of the fingertips (and sometimes toes) in which the nail beds soft…
- Columnar CellA columnar cell is a type of epithelial cell that is taller than it is wide, shaped like a column or pillar. …
- Contralateral PleuraThe contralateral pleura is the pleural lining on the opposite side of the chest from where a disease, injury…
- Costophrenic angleThe costophrenic angle is the sharp corner on a chest X-ray or CT scan where the diaphragm meets the rib cage…
- DiaphragmThe diaphragm is a thin, dome-shaped sheet of muscle that sits beneath the lungs and separates the chest cavi…
- Distal Respiratory ZoneThe distal respiratory zone is the deepest part of the lung, made up of the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar…
- Endothoracic FasciaThe endothoracic fascia is a thin layer of fibrous connective tissue that lines the inside of the chest wall,…
- EpididymisThe epididymis is a small, tightly coiled tube that sits on the back of each testicle, where sperm mature and…
- EpitheliumEpithelium is the thin layer of tightly packed cells that covers the body's outer surfaces and lines its inte…
- HemithoraxA hemithorax is one side, either left or right, of the chest cavity. Each hemithorax contains a lung, its ple…
- Hilar Lymph NodesHilar lymph nodes are clusters of small immune-system glands located at the hilum of each lung, the central a…
- HilumThe hilum is the central region on the inner surface of each lung where the main bronchus, pulmonary arteries…
- Inguinal CanalThe inguinal canal is a short passageway in the lower abdominal wall, located in the groin, that runs from in…
- Interaortocaval Lymph NodesThe interaortocaval lymph nodes are a group of lymph nodes located deep in the back of the abdomen, in the sp…
- InterstitialInterstitial refers to the supporting tissue and tiny spaces that lie between the functional cells of an orga…
- IntrathoracicIntrathoracic means "inside the chest cavity," the space enclosed by the rib cage that contains the lungs, th…
- Ipsilateral pleuraThe pleural lining on the same side of the chest as another structure, finding, or disease being discussed. F…
- Lung Lining FluidLung lining fluid is the thin layer of liquid between the two membranes (the pleura) covering the lungs and l…
- Mediastinal Lymph NodesMediastinal lymph nodes are small immune-system glands located in the mediastinum, the central compartment of…
- Mediastinal StructuresMediastinal structures are the organs and tissues that sit in the mediastinum, the central compartment of the…
- MediastinumThe mediastinum is the central compartment of the chest, sitting between the two lungs. It holds the heart, t…
- MesenteryThe mesentery is a continuous fold of peritoneum (the thin membrane lining the abdominal cavity) that attache…
- MesodermThe mesoderm is the middle of the three primary tissue layers that form in the early embryo, sitting between …
- Mesothelial CellsMesothelial cells are the flat, single-layer cells that line the body's internal cavities and cover the organ…
- MesotheliumThe mesothelium is a thin, two-layered membrane of specialized cells that lines the body's major cavities and…
- Mucociliary ClearanceMucociliary clearance is the lungs' natural cleaning system. Tiny hair-like structures called cilia line the …
- OmentumThe omentum is a large, apron-like fold of fatty tissue that hangs from the stomach and drapes over the intes…
- OrthopneaOrthopnea is shortness of breath that occurs when lying flat and improves when sitting or standing up. People…
- PapillaePapillae are small, finger-like or nipple-shaped projections of tissue that grow outward from a surface. In p…
- ParatesticularParatesticular refers to the tissues and structures located next to or surrounding the testicle, including th…
- ParenchymaParenchyma is the working tissue of an organ, the part that actually performs the organ's job, as opposed to …
- Parietal PleuraThe parietal pleura is the outer layer of the thin, two-layered membrane (pleura) that surrounds each lung. I…
- Parietal-Pleural Lymphatic StomataParietal-pleural lymphatic stomata are microscopic openings in the parietal pleura, the outer lining that cov…
- PericardialPericardial means relating to the pericardium, the thin, two-layered sac of tissue that surrounds the heart a…
- PericardiumThe pericardium is the thin, two-layered sac that surrounds and protects the heart. It contains a small amoun…
- Peritoneal CavityThe peritoneal cavity is the space inside the abdomen that contains organs such as the stomach, intestines, l…
- PeritoneumThe peritoneum is a thin, two-layered membrane that lines the inside of the abdominal cavity and wraps around…
- PleuraThe pleura is a thin, two-layered membrane that wraps each lung and lines the inside of the chest wall, with …
- Pleural Black SpotsPleural black spots are small, dark, dot-like marks on the parietal pleura, the membrane lining the inside of…
- Pleural CavityThe pleural cavity is the thin, fluid-filled space between the two layers of the pleura, the membranes that l…
- PulmonologyPulmonology is the medical specialty focused on the lungs, airways, and breathing. Pulmonologists diagnose an…
- Reactive Mesothelial CellsReactive mesothelial cells are normal cells lining the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium that have become e…
- Rete TestisThe rete testis is a network of small interconnected tubules inside each testicle that collects sperm from th…
- RetroperitoneumThe retroperitoneum is the anatomical space located behind the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdomi…
- Serosal SurfaceA serosal surface is the smooth, moist outer lining that covers certain internal body cavities and the organs…
- Serous CavitiesSerous cavities are the thin, fluid-filled spaces inside the body that surround certain organs, allowing them…
- Serous FluidSerous fluid is the thin, pale-yellow, watery liquid produced inside the smooth-lined cavities surrounding th…
- Small Bowel MesenteryThe small bowel mesentery is a fan-shaped fold of peritoneum that anchors the jejunum and ileum to the back w…
- Spermatic CordThe spermatic cord is a bundle of structures that runs from the lower abdomen through the groin into the scro…
- ThoraxThe thorax is the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, enclosed by the rib cage, breastbone, an…
- Total Lung Capacity (TLC)Total Lung Capacity is the maximum volume of air the lungs can hold after taking the deepest possible breath …
- TubuleA tubule is a very small tube-shaped structure in the body, such as those in the kidneys that filter waste or…
- Tunica VaginalisThe tunica vaginalis is a thin, two-layered sac of mesothelial tissue that surrounds each testicle inside the…
- Visceral PleuraThe visceral pleura is the thin, slippery membrane that wraps directly around each lung and dips into the fis…
Terms in this category
Browse the full Lexicon, or talk it through with a member of our litigation team, not a screener, at 833-4-ASBESTOS.