Causes of Emphysema

List of causes of Emphysema

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Emphysema) that could possibly cause Emphysema includes:

• COPD
• Chronic bronchitis
• Smoking
• Congenital deficiency of alpha-l-antitrypsin - causing Familial emphysema

Causes of Emphysema (Diseases Database):

The follow list shows some of the possible medical causes of Emphysema that are listed by the Diseases Database:

• MacLeod syndrome
• Cadmium
• Coal worker's pneumoconiosis
• Pulmonary artery sling
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Causes of Emphysema: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Emphysema.

Crepitation, subcutaneous [Subcutaneous crepitus, subcutaneous emphysema]: Medical causes
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))

Gas gangrene.

 Subcutaneous crepitation is the hallmark of gas gangrene, a rare but commonly fatal infection that's caused by anaerobic microorganisms. It's accompanied by local pain, swelling, and discoloration, with the formation of bullae and necrosis. The skin over the wound may rupture, revealing dark red or black necrotic muscle and producing foul-smelling, watery, or frothy discharge. Related findings include tachycardia, tachypnea, a moderate fever, cyanosis, and lassitude.

Orbital fracture.

 An orbital fracture allows air from the nasal sinuses to escape into subcutaneous tissue, causing subcutaneous crepitation of the eyelid and orbit. The most common sign of this fracture is periorbital ecchymosis. Visual acuity is usually normal, although a swollen lid may prevent accurate testing. The patient has facial edema, diplopia, a hyphema and, occasionally, a dilated or unreactive pupil on the affected side. Extraocular movements may also be affected.

Pneumothorax.

Severe pneumothorax produces subcutaneous crepitation in the upper chest and neck. In many cases, the patient has chest pain that's unilateral, rarely localized initially, and increased on inspiration. Dyspnea, anxiety, restlessness, tachypnea, cyanosis, tachycardia, accessory muscle use, asymmetrical chest expansion, and a nonproductive cough can also occur. On the affected side, breath sounds are absent or decreased, hyperresonance or tympany may be heard, and decreased vocal fremitus may be present.

Rupture of the esophagus.

 A ruptured esophagus usually produces subcutaneous crepitation in the neck, chest wall, or supraclavicular fossa, although this sign doesn't always occur. With a rupture of the cervical esophagus, the patient has excruciating pain in the neck or supraclavicular area, his neck is resistant to passive motion, and he has local tenderness, soft-tissue swelling, dysphagia, odynophagia, and orthostatic vertigo.

Life-threatening rupture of the intrathoracic esophagus can produce mediastinal emphysema confirmed by a positive Hamman's sign. The patient has severe retrosternal, epigastric, neck, or scapular pain and edema of the chest wall and neck. He may also display dyspnea, tachypnea, asymmetrical chest expansion, nasal flaring, cyanosis, diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypotension, dysphagia, and a fever.

Rupture of the trachea or major bronchus.

 Rupture of the trachea or major bronchus is a life-threatening injury that produces abrupt subcutaneous crepitation of the neck and anterior chest wall. The patient has severe dyspnea with nasal flaring, tachycardia, accessory muscle use, hypotension, cyanosis, extreme anxiety and, possibly, hemoptysis and mediastinal emphysema, with a positive Hamman's sign.

Other causes

Diagnostic tests.

Endoscopic tests, such as bronchoscopy and upper GI tract endoscopy, can cause rupture or perforation of respiratory or GI organs, producing subcutaneous crepitation.

Respiratory treatments.

Mechanical ventilation and intermittent positive-pressure breathing can rupture alveoli, producing subcutaneous crepitation.

Thoracic surgery.

If air escapes into the tissue in the area of the incision, subcutaneous crepitation can occur.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Crepitation, subcutaneous [Subcutaneous crepitus, subcutaneous emphysema]: Medical causes
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))

Gas gangrene

Subcutaneous crepitation is the hallmark of this rare, but commonly fatal, infection that’s caused by anaerobic microorganisms. It’s accompanied by local pain, swelling, and discoloration as well as bullae and necrosis. The skin over the wound may rupture, revealing dark red or black necrotic muscle and a foul-smelling, watery or frothy discharge. Related findings include tachycardia, tachypnea, a moderate fever, cyanosis, and lassitude.

Orbital fracture

This fracture allows air from the nasal sinuses to escape into subcutaneous tissue, causing subcutaneous crepitation of the eyelid and orbit. The most common sign of an orbital fracture is periorbital ecchymosis. Visual acuity is usually normal, although a swollen eyelid may prevent accurate testing. The patient has facial edema, diplopia, a hyphema and, occasionally, a dilated or unreactive pupil on the affected side. Extraocular movements may also be affected.

Pneumothorax

Severe pneumothorax produces subcutaneous crepitation in the upper chest and neck. In many cases, the patient has chest pain that’s unilateral, rarely localized initially, and increased on inspiration. Dyspnea, anxiety, restlessness, tachypnea, cyanosis, tachycardia, accessory muscle use, asymmetrical chest expansion, and a nonproductive cough can also occur. On the affected side, breath sounds are absent or decreased, hyperresonance or tympany may be heard, and decreased vocal fremitus may be present.

Rupture of the esophagus

A ruptured esophagus usually produces subcutaneous crepitation in the neck, chest wall, or supraclavicular fossa, although this sign doesn’t always occur. In a rupture of the cervical esophagus, the patient has excruciating pain in the neck or supraclavicular area, his neck is resistant to passive motion, and he has local tenderness, soft-tissue swelling, dysphagia, odynophagia, and orthostatic vertigo.

Life-threatening rupture of the intrathoracic esophagus can produce mediastinal emphysema confirmed by a positive Hamman’s sign. The patient has severe retrosternal, epigastric, neck, or scapular pain and edema of the chest wall and neck. He may also display dyspnea, tachypnea, asymmetrical chest expansion, nasal flaring, cyanosis, diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypotension, dysphagia, and fever.

Rupture of the trachea or major bronchus

This life-threatening injury produces abrupt subcutaneous crepitation of the neck and anterior chest wall. The patient has severe dyspnea with nasal flaring, tachycardia, accessory muscle use, hypotension, cyanosis, extreme anxiety and, possibly, hemoptysis and mediastinal emphysema confirmed by a positive Hamman’s sign.

Other causes

Respiratory treatments

Mechanical ventilation and intermittent positive-pressure breathing can rupture alveoli, producing subcutaneous crepitation.

Thoracic surgery

Subcutaneous crepitation can occur if air escapes into the tissue in the area of the incision.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Crepitation, subcutaneous [Subcutaneous crepitus, subcutaneous emphysema]: Medical causes
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)

Gas gangrene.Subcutaneous crepitation is the hallmark of gas gangrene, a rare but commonly fatal infection that's caused by anaerobic microorganisms. It's accompanied by local pain, swelling, and discoloration, with the formation of bullae and necrosis. The skin over the wound may rupture, revealing dark red or black necrotic muscle and producing foul-smelling, watery, or frothy discharge. Related findings include tachycardia, tachypnea, a moderate fever, cyanosis, and lassitude.

Orbital fracture.An orbital fracture allows air from the nasal sinuses to escape into subcutaneous tissue, causing subcutaneous crepitation of the eyelid and orbit. The most common sign of this fracture is periorbital ecchymosis. Visual acuity is usually normal, although a swollen lid may prevent accurate testing. The patient has facial edema, diplopia, a hyphema and, occasionally, a dilated or unreactive pupil on the affected side. Extraocular movements may also be affected.

Pneumothorax.Severe pneumothorax produces subcutaneous crepitation in the upper chest and neck. In many cases, the patient has chest pain that's unilateral, rarely localized initially, and increased on inspiration. Dyspnea, anxiety, restlessness, tachypnea, cyanosis, tachycardia, accessory muscle use, asymmetrical chest expansion, and a nonproductive cough can also occur. On the affected side, breath sounds are absent or decreased, hyperresonance or tympany may be heard, and decreased vocal fremitus may be present.

Rupture of the esophagus.A ruptured esophagus usually produces subcutaneous crepitation in the neck, chest wall, or supraclavicular fossa, although this sign doesn't always occur. With a rupture of the cervical esophagus, the patient has excruciating pain in the neck or supraclavicular area, his neck is resistant to passive motion, and he has local tenderness, soft-tissue swelling, dysphagia, odynophagia, and orthostatic vertigo.

Life-threatening rupture of the intrathoracic esophagus can produce mediastinal emphysema confirmed by a positive Hamman's sign. The patient has severe retrosternal, epigastric, neck, or scapular pain and edema of the chest wall and neck. He may also display dyspnea, tachypnea, asymmetrical chest expansion, nasal flaring, cyanosis, diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypotension, dysphagia, and a fever.

Rupture of the trachea or major bronchus.Rupture of the trachea or major bronchus is a life-threatening injury that produces abrupt subcutaneous crepitation of the neck and anterior chest wall. The patient has severe dyspnea with nasal flaring, tachycardia, accessory muscle use, hypotension, cyanosis, extreme anxiety and, possibly, hemoptysis and mediastinal emphysema, with a positive Hamman's sign.

Other causes

Diagnostic tests.Endoscopic tests, such as bronchoscopy and upper GI tract endoscopy, can cause rupture or perforation of respiratory or GI organs, producing subcutaneous crepitation.

Respiratory treatments.Mechanical ventilation and intermittent positive-pressure breathing can rupture alveoli, producing subcutaneous crepitation.

Thoracic surgery.If air escapes into the tissue in the area of the incision, subcutaneous crepitation can occur.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Emphysema as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Emphysema as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Emphysema. Our database lists the following as having Emphysema as a complication of that condition:

• Asbestosis
• Chronic Bronchitis
• Cutis laxa congenital
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Farmer's lung
• Fibrosing alveolitis
• Marfan syndrome
• Silicosis
• Smoking
• Whooping Cough

Emphysema as a symptom:

Conditions listing Emphysema as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Emphysema. Our database lists the following as having Emphysema as a symptom of that condition:

• Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency
• Aluminium lung
• Berry aneurysm, cirrhosis, pulmonary emphysema, and cerebral calcification
• Blue and bloated syndrome
• Cadmium poisoning
• Cardiomegaly - bronchitis - emphysema syndrome
• Copper poisoning
• Cutis laxa, recessive
• Cutis laxa, recessive type 1
• Cystic fibrosis - gastritis - megaloblastic anaemia
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, classic type
• Graphite Pneumoconiosis
• Immune defect due to absence of thymus
• Nezelof's syndrome
• Paracoccidioidomycosis
• Rathburn disease

What causes Emphysema?

Article excerpts about the causes of Emphysema:

Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema: NHLBI (Excerpt)

In emphysema there is permanent destruction of the alveoli, the tiny elastic air sacs of the lung, because of irreversible destruction of a protein in the lung called elastin that is important for maintaining the strength of the alveolar walls. The loss of elastin also causes collapse or narrowing of the smallest air passages, called bronchioles, which in turn limits airflow out of the lung. The number of individuals with emphysema in the United States is estimated to be 2 million. (Source: excerpt from Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema: NHLBI)

Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema: NHLBI (Excerpt)

Some scientists believe that nonfamilial emphysema, usually called "smoker's emphysema," also results from an imbalance between elastin-degrading enzymes and their inhibitors. The elastase-AAT imbalance is thought to be a result of the effects of smoking, rather than inherited as in familial emphysema. Some evidence for this theory comes from studies on the effect of tobacco smoke on lung cells. These studies showed that tobacco smoke stimulates excess release of elastase from cells normally found in the lung. The inhaled smoke also stimulates more elastase-producing cells to migrate to the lung which in turn causes the release of even more elastase. To make matters worse, oxidants found in cigarette smoke inactivate a significant portion of the elastase inhibitors that are present, thereby decreasing the amount of active antielastase available for protecting the lung and further upsetting the elastase-antielastase balance. (Source: excerpt from Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema: NHLBI)

Medical news summaries relating to Emphysema:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Emphysema:

• $3.2 million paid by cigarette company to a sufferer of chronic emphysema
• COPD is the 4th leading killer but there is not much awareness of the condition

Related information on causes of Emphysema:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Emphysema may be found in:

• Risk factors for Emphysema
• Hidden causes of Emphysema