Mesothelioma Glossary D

Click on the letters below for an explanation of the glossary terms for each letter.

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Decortication - removal of the outermost part of an organ, such as the lung

Diaphragm - large muscular structure separating chest and abdominal cavities

Diffuse - not concentrated - not localized

Diffuse basilar rales - an early distinctive clinical sign of respiratory disease. Rales are crackling noises, unaffected by coughing or deep inspiration, that are heard in the lungs.

Diffusion - the process by which molecules move from a region of high concentration to one of lower concentration, as in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs

DLCO - a study of lung function defined as the number of milliliters of carbon monoxide absorbed per minute per millimeter of mercury

DOE - dyspnea on exertion

Dyspnea - difficult, painful breathing or shortness of breath. One of the early symptoms of mesothelioma in the pleura due to the accumulation of fluid in the chest.