Emphysema happens gradually as tobacco smoke or other pollutants damage the tiny air sacs in your lungs called alveoli. Normally, some 300 million alveoli help bring oxygen into your body and get rid ...

Emphysema is not hereditary. It usually results from smoking or exposure to other harmful lung irritants. However, a rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) passed down in ...

Surgical emphysema is another term for subcutaneous emphysema. It occurs when air or gas enters the subcutaneous tissue, which is the deepest layer of the skin. People can develop surgical emphysema ...

Cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema is an uncommon but clinically significant condition in which air is inadvertently forced into the soft tissues of the face and neck during dental procedures. This ...