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atelectasis
(at″ә-lek´tә-sis)
a collapsed or airless state of the lung, which may be acute or chronic and involving all or only part of a lung. The primary cause is obstruction of the bronchus that serves the affected area. When atelectasis occurs suddenly or acutely, there may be dyspnea, cyanosis, fever, a drop in blood pressure, or shock. In chronic forms, the patient may experience no symptoms other than gradually developing dyspnea and weakness. adj., atelectat´ic., adj.
absence of air in a normally air-filled space such as the middle ear.
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