Empyema

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛm.pʌɪˈiː.mə/

Definitions

1. A pathological condition occurs when pus accumulates in a cavity within the body, predominantly affecting the space surrounding the lungs
2. It is defined as the buildup of pus within a body cavity that usually takes place in the pleural area, potentially leading to serious health implications
3. A medical condition arises when purulent material collects in a body cavity, most commonly impacting the pleura surrounding the lungs

Etymology: Ancient Greek physicians had a tidy name for a collection of pus forming inside the body: "empúēma," literally a "gathering" or "abscess," built from the preposition "en" (in) and "pūon" (pus). The word was a plain description of what the doctor saw, with no metaphor involved. The Greek term passed into Latin and then into the medical vocabulary of later centuries, where it kept its original sense of pus collected in a cavity. The word is most often used for pus trapped in the pleural space, the thin gap between the lungs and the chest wall. Because that space sits around the lungs, a collection there can press on them and make breathing difficult, which is why the condition has long been treated seriously. The core meaning has barely shifted in two and a half thousand years: the word still names a pocket of pus sealed inside the body.