Emphysema: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Also written as: centrilobular emphysema, paraseptal emphysema, panlobular emphysema, pulmonary emphysema

Emphysema means some of the lung's tiny air sacs are damaged and merged into larger spaces. It is most often caused by smoking.

What it means

The lungs contain millions of tiny air sacs with thin walls, where oxygen passes into the blood. In emphysema, some of these walls break down, leaving fewer, larger spaces that trap air when you breathe out. On CT they show as dark patches, usually without a visible wall. Words like centrilobular, paraseptal or panlobular describe where in the lung's small units the damage sits.

When it matters

Emphysema is a main part of COPD, a long-term lung disease, though mild emphysema on CT may cause no symptoms. Radiologists grade it by how much lung is affected, from trace or mild to advanced. Your doctor may suggest breathing tests (spirometry) and help to stop smoking. Emphysema at a young age, or mainly in the lower lungs, can prompt a blood test for an inherited cause, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Questions to ask your doctor

How much of my lung shows emphysema: trace, mild, moderate or more?
Should I have breathing tests to see how well my lungs work?
Am I eligible for yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose CT?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.