Re: Atelectasis due to phrenic nerve damage

From: Howard McCollister (nospam_at_nospam.net)
Date: 12/30/04 

Date: 30 Dec 2004 06:21:04 -0600

"patiie333" <pgralski@cavtel.net> wrote in message
news:1104371243.562074.172230@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> the doctor told me i have nerve damage because I have a calasped lower
> left lung I have know ideal what this means
>

The phrenic nerve is what tells the diaphragm to move up and down causing
expansion of the chest cavity where the lungs are, which in turn is what is
partially responsible for causing the volume of air to go into the lungs
necessary for full expansion of the lung. Persistent atelectasis (collapse,
non-expansion) of the lower lobe can be seen if their is inadequate
expansion of that chest cavity. That can be caused by a few things, but lack
of diaphragm motion due to a phrenic nerve malfunction is one of them. It
can be suspected from a routine chest xray, but is definitively diagnosed by
flouroscopy observing diaphragm motion.

HMc