Emphysema refers to any disease process involving an abnormal accumulation of air/gas in the tissues. When used alone, it is usually taken to mean the lung disease, pulmonary emphysema, which forms part of the spectrum of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
gastric emphysema: includes emphysematous gastritis
intestinal emphysema: a synonym for pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis
mediastinal emphysema: an uncommon synonym for pneumomediastinum
orbital emphysema: gas in the orbit
parotid emphysema: gas in the parotid gland
subcutaneous emphysema: a more accurate term for surgical emphysema
Many conditions, usually with an infective etiology, are more commonly expressed as an "emphysematous -itis" form.
*extremely rare: case reports only
History and etymology
Emphysema is first recorded in 1661 as a borrowing from New Latin, and derived from the Greek 'emphysema' meaning a swelling. Emphysema is itself derived from εμφυσαν (emphysan) "to inflate", formed ultimately from φυσαω (physa), meaning "to blow" 2.
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