Pleural hypertrophic adhesions often present as an imaging concept of blunted or even absent rib-diaphragm angles, a symptom of pleural thickening and adhesions caused by fibrin and granulation tissue attaching to the chest wall.
Pleural thickening can be limited or extensive. Common causes of pleural thickening are pneumothorax, hemothorax, trauma, tuberculous and purulent pleurisy.
If the pleural cavity is repeatedly irritated by bacteria or viruses, then these inflammatory stimuli can easily cause the pleura of the dirty layer to appear hypertrophic, and prolonged irritation can even cause symptoms of fibrosis of the pleural tissue. In addition, interstitial fluid exudation from lung tissue and pleural tissue cells can also irritate the pleura causing the pleural wall to become fatter and thicker.