A pulmonary contusion is a lung parenchymal injury without lung or vascular lacerations. The condition usually results from blunt chest trauma, shock waves from penetrating chest injuries, or explosions, though its pathophysiology remains poorly understood.

A pulmonary contusion is bleeding and fluid around your lungs caused by an injury. It’s similar to a bruise inside your body. Symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain may happen quickly or take hours to days to develop. If you’ve been injured and have symptoms of a pulmonary contusion, seek medical attention immediately.

A pulmonary contusion refers to an interstitial and/or alveolar lung injury without any frank laceration. It usually occurs secondary to non-penetrating trauma.

Contusions and lacerations follow blunt or penetrating chest trauma, and are almost always seen with other chest (and abdominal) injuries. While pulmonary laceration can affect anyone, children are considered more susceptible due to chest wall greater pliability in that age group 4 .