pneumonitis
Meaning of pneumonitis: Pneumonitis is inflammation of lung tissue from a noninfectious cause, distinct from pneumonia, which usually implies an infection.
Definition of pneumonitis
Pneumonitis is inflammation of lung tissue, most often referring to inflammation arising from a cause other than infection, such as radiation therapy directed at the chest, an allergic reaction, exposure to certain chemicals or inhaled substances, or an autoimmune condition. The inflammation can affect the tiny air sacs of the lung, the surrounding tissue, or both.
Symptoms of pneumonitis often resemble those of pneumonia, including cough and shortness of breath, which can make the two conditions difficult to distinguish based on symptoms alone. Imaging of the chest and, at times, a tissue sample are used to help identify the specific pattern and likely cause of the inflammation.
Because pneumonitis can result from so many different triggers, identifying and, where possible, removing the underlying cause, such as a medication or environmental exposure, is central to how the condition is approached, distinguishing it from pneumonia, which is generally caused by an infectious organism.
Used in a sentence
Chest imaging showed changes consistent with pneumonitis following radiation therapy to the chest.
Good to know
Pneumonitis and pneumonia are often used interchangeably in casual speech, though pneumonitis describes inflammation from any cause while pneumonia specifically implies an infectious origin.
Word origin
Where “pneumonitis” comes from
Formed from Greek pneumon, meaning lung, and the suffix -itis, meaning inflammation.