neumotórax
/neumoˈtoɾaɡs/masculine
The Spanish word for pneumothorax is neumotórax.
neumotórax refers to the presence of air inside the pleural cavity.
Meaning: presence of air inside the pleural cavity (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The prefix neumo- is the Spanish equivalent of the Greek-derived pneumo- used in English medical terms and means lung or air.
How do you pronounce it?
/neumoˈtoɾaɡs/
Did you know?
- The word neumotórax ends in -x, a letter that is relatively rare in Spanish and usually indicates a word of Greek or Latin origin.
- While neumotórax is a technical term, Spanish speakers often use the verb colapsar to describe the lung's state, which can also mean 'to crash' or 'to break down' in a non-medical context.
- The Spanish word tórax is a masculine noun, but unlike English where 'thorax' is rarely used outside of anatomy, tórax is commonly used in Spanish to describe the general chest area.
Examples in context
- El paciente sufrió un neumotórax espontáneo.The patient suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax.
- El médico trató su neumotórax usando una sonda.The doctor treated his pneumothorax using a probe.
- El neumotórax puede requerir una intervención quirúrgica.Pneumothorax may require surgical intervention.
- El neumotórax es una emergencia médica.A pneumothorax is a medical emergency.
- El paciente tiene un neumotórax pequeño.The patient has a small pneumothorax.
- La radiografía confirmó el neumotórax.The X-ray confirmed the pneumothorax.
Example conversation
A doctor is explaining a diagnosis to a patient's relative.
- MaríaDaniel, el informe muestra un neumotórax.Daniel, the report shows a pneumothorax.
- Daniel¿Es muy grave el neumotórax?Is the pneumothorax very serious?
- MaríaEs un neumotórax leve, pero hay que vigilarlo.It is a mild pneumothorax, but we must monitor it.
- DanielGracias por la explicación, María.Thank you for the explanation, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pneumothorax” translations and entries neumotórax, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
