Pulmonary opacity

What it means

Opacity refers to any area that preferentially attenuates the x-ray beam and therefore appears more opaque than the surrounding area. It is a nonspecific term that does not indicate the size or pathologic nature of the abnormality.

Increased pulmonary opacity is caused by a decrease in the ratio of gas to soft tissue (blood, lung parenchyma and stroma) in the lung.

Rare diseases that can present with this4

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category