The pleura performs an important function within the body. One of the various membrane linings that protect and aid functionality of major organs within the body, this lining is a thin membranous lining. As with the other major membrane linings in the body, the pleura is a double layered lining made up of two pleural membranes, between which there is a space that is known as a pleural cavity.
Although the pleura performs a very important function within the body, it is also susceptible to a number of problems and diseases, such as pleurisy. Another major disease that can affect the pleural cavity and lining is known as mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer that is related to exposure to asbestos fibers that become airborne.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that can affect the lining and cavities that protect the major organs of the body. The cancer affecting the pleura is known as pleural mesothelioma, and this is the most common form of the disease, with around eighty percent of sufferers having this variation of the cancer. The lining around the heart is the pericardium, and when the cancer affects this it is called pericardial mesothelioma. This is the rarest form of this cancer. The lining around the abdominal organs is known as the peritoneum, and when the cancer affects this lining and cavity it is known as peritoneal mesothelioma.
In the cavity between the two layers of the pleura, a lubricating liquid is produced known as pleural fluid. This enables the organs to function properly as well as providing protection to them. However, diseases of the pleura, such as mesothelioma, can result in excessive production and accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, and this may involve the need to drain off the fluid in the cavity using specialist procedures.
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