Feeling Shortness Of Breath. X-ray Showed Right Apical Pleural Thickening. What Does This Mean?

Posted on Thu, 18 Apr 2013

Question: Hi , I am XXXXXX- age 49 years - have been feeling shortness of breath, especially after exertions - like climbing a fight of stairs - essentially have a desk job - sedentary life style - no exercise. Doc asked to do a Treadmill Test and a Chest X-ray. Yet to do the Treadmill Test - but Chest X XXXXXXX shows RIGHT APICAL PLEURAL THICKENING.

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (5 hours later)

Hello,

Thanks for the query.

There can be various causes for your shortness of breath which includes general causes like anaemia, lack of exercises, obesity, anxiety or specific lung causes or heart causes.
Heart causes include angina, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and it will require specific investigations related to your heart which includes ECG, treadmill test etc.

As far as lung causes are concerned, it includes causes like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, bronchitis etc.

Your x XXXXXXX shows only right sided apical pleural thickening which means thickening of covering of lungs, called as pleura, in right lung on the top portion of lung.

A localized pleural thickening only on top portion of just one lung generally denotes past bacterial infection or past tuberculosis, especially if there is no current symptoms like cough or fever are present.

I don't think that your present shortness of breath is due to this one sided apical pleural thickening.
Get your treadmill test done along with other relevant investigations.

I hope it helps, however you may revert to me for any further query.

Best of luck.
Thanks,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T