What does pleurisy refer to?

Pleurisy specifically refers to the inflammation of the pleural lining, which is the double-layered membrane surrounding the lungs and lining the chest cavity. This condition often results in sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing, coughing, or sneezing due to the irritation of the layers rubbing against each other. Understanding pleurisy is important because it can lead to complications such as pleural effusion, where fluid accumulates in the pleural space. The other options describe different issues related to the respiratory system: inflammation of lung tissue or infections in alveoli affect the functional parts of the lungs themselves, while swelling of the bronchial tubes pertains to the airways, not the pleural membranes. Thus, knowing that pleurisy specifically targets the pleural lining helps differentiate it from other respiratory conditions that may involve other anatomical structures.