Blood accumulation in the pleural space between the lung and chest wall, usually resulting from trauma, surgery, or malignancy. This compresses the lung and impairs breathing, often requiring emergency drainage.
From Greek 'haima' (blood) + 'thorax' (chest). The term emerged in the 19th century alongside advances in thoracic surgery and trauma care. It follows the same naming pattern as pneumothorax, with the prefix indicating what abnormal substance is found in the pleural space.
Hemothorax can be so subtle that patients sometimes don't seek help until they've lost dangerous amounts of blood into their chest cavity! The pleural space can hold up to 4 liters of blood - that's nearly half of your total blood volume.
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