Respiratory organs

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Medical Technology Vol. 71; no. J-STAGE-1; pp. 60 - 96
• Main Authors: NISHIKAWA, Takeshi, MORITO, Satoshi, TSUKAMOTO, Ryuko, ITOH, Tomoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Association of Medical Technologists 31.01.2022; 一般社団法人 日本臨床衛生検査技師会
• Subjects: lungs; mediastinum; neoplastic lesion; nonneoplastic lesion; upper respiratory tract; 上気道; 縦隔; 肺; 腫瘍性病変; 非腫瘍性病変
• ISSN: 0915-8669; 2188-5346
• DOI: 10.14932/jamt.22J1-5

The upper respiratory tract generally refers to an airway consisting of the nasal cavities, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. The paranasal sinuses that exist at an end of the respiratory region are divided into the frontal, sphenoidal, ethmoidal, and maxillary paranasal sinuses. Neoplastic diseases of nasal cavity and paranasal sinus regions include salivary gland-type tumors, olfactory neuroblastoma, maxillary cancer, and lymphoma. The main bronchus is repeatedly divided into smaller bronchi, which lead to terminal bronchioles and finally to bronchioles and pulmonary alveoli. Pulmonary diseases are classified into three types: circulatory failure, infectious and noninfectious pneumonia, and neoplastic lesions. Among pulmonary diseases, the frequency of infectious pneumonia is extremely high, which is one of the top causes of death and the main respiratory disease. Infectious pneumonia is caused by many types of pathogenic microorganism, such as bacteria, viruses, mycoplasmas, fungi, and protozoa. Commonly, special staining methods are effective in the diagnosis of infectious pneumonia. Adenocarcinoma is the most common histological type and accounts for ~60% of all pulmonary tumor cases. The number of female patients is high and adenocarcinoma frequently develops in the periphery of lungs. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for ~30% of all pulmonary tumor cases. The number of male patients is high and squamous cell carcinoma develops mainly at the center of lungs; however, cases of squamous cell carcinoma developing in the periphery of lungs have been increasing in number. Small-cell and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma account for ~10% and ~3% of all pulmonary tumor cases, respectively. Morphologically, both tumors show neuroendocrine features and the use of neuroendocrine marker staining is recommended. The mediastinum is divided into the superior mediastinum and inferior mediastinum. The inferior mediastinum is further divided into three sites: the anterior mediastinum, middle mediastinum, and posterior mediastinum. The type of tumor that commonly develops in the mediastinum depends on the site.