Learn more about our Patient Info Guides

Home > About > Lung Diseases Doctor Specialties and Provider Care Information

Lung Diseases

Lung Diseases Physician Specialties

Doctor specialties that may be involved in the diagnosis, treatment or ongoing care of Lung Diseases.

Pathologists	Pulmonary Disease Physicians	Transplant Surgeons
Pulmonary Critical Care Physicians	Thoracic Surgeons

State Pages

State-specific information and physicians specializing in the care of Lung Diseases.

Specialty Definitions

Pulmonary Disease Physicians

An internist who treats disease of the lungs and airways. The pulmonologist diagnoses and treats cancer, pneumonia, pleurisy, asthma, occupational diseases, bronchitis, sleep disorders, emphysema, and other complex disorders of the lungs.

Thoracic Surgeons

A thoracic surgeon provides the operative, perioperative care, and critical care of patients with pathologic conditions within the chest. Included is the surgical care of coronary artery disease, cancers of the lung, esophagus and chest wall, abnormalities of the trachea, abnormalities of the great vessels and heart valves, congenital anomalies, tumors of the mediastinum, and diseases of the diaphragm. The management of the airway and injuries of the chest is within the scope of the specialty.

Thoracic surgeons have the knowledge, experience and technical skills to accurately diagnose, operate upon safely, and effectively manage patients with thoracic diseases of the chest. This requires substantial knowledge of cardiorespiratory physiology and oncology, as well as capability in the use of heart assist devices, management of abnormal heart rhythms and drainage of the chest cavity, respiratory support systems, endoscopy, and invasive and noninvasive diagnostic techniques. No Sub-Specialty.

Pathologists

A pathologist deals with the causes and nature of disease and contributes to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment through knowledge gained by the laboratory application of the biologic, chemical, and physical sciences.; A pathologist uses information gathered from the microscopic examination of tissue specimens, cells, and body fluids, and from clinical laboratory tests on body fluids and secretions for the diagnosis, exclusion, and monitoring of disease.
Blood Banking/Transfusion Med: A physician who specializes in blood banking/transfusion medicine is responsible for the maintenance of an adequate blood supply, blood donor and patient-recipient safety, and appropriate blood utilization. Pretransfusion compatibility testing and antibody testing assure that blood transfusions, when indicated, are as safe as possible. This physician directs the preparation and safe use of specially prepared blood components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma constituents.
Chemical Pathology: A chemical pathologist has expertise in the biochemistry of the human body as it applies to the understanding of the cause and progress of disease. This physician functions as a clinical consultant in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Chemical pathology entails the appliction of biochemical data to the detection, confirmation, or monitoring of disease.
Cytopathology: A cytopathologist is an anatomic pathologist trained in the diagnosis of human disease by means of the study of cells obtained from body secretions and fluids, by scraping, washing, or sponging the surface of a lesion, or by the aspiration of a tumor mass or body organ with a fine needle. A major aspect of a cytopathologist's practice is the interpretation of Papanicolaou-stained smears of cells from the female reproductive systems, the "Pap" test. However, the cytopathologist's expertise is applied to the diagnosis of cells from all systems and areas of the body. He/she is a consultant to all medical specialists.
Dermatopathology: A dermatopathologist is expert in diagnosing and monitoring diseases of the skin including infectious, immunologic, degenerative, and neoplastic diseases. This entails the examination and interpretation of specially prepared tissue sections, cellular scrapings, and smears of skin lesions by means of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy.
Forensic Pathology: A forensic pathologist is expert in investigating and evaluating cases of sudden, unexpected, suspicious, and violent death as well as other specific classes of death defined by law. The forensic pathologist serves the public as coroner or medical examiner, or by performing medicolegal autopsies for such officials.
Hematology: A physician who is expert in diseases that affect blood cells, blood clotting mechanisms, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. He/she has the knowledge and technical skills essential for the laboratory diagnosis of anemias, leukemias, lymphomas, bleeding disorders, and blood clotting disorders.
Medical Microbiology: A physician who is expert in the isolation and identification of microbial agents that cause infectious disease. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi, as well as parasites are identified and, where possible, tested for susceptibility to appropriate antimicrobial agents.
Molecular Genetic Pathology: A molecular genetic pathologist is expert in the principles, theory, and technologies of molecular biology and molecular genetics. This expertise is used to make or confirm diagnoses of Mendelian genetic disorders, disorders of human development, infectious diseases and malignancies, and to assess the natural history of those disorders. A molecular genetic pathologist provides information about gene structure, function, and alteration and applies laboratory techniques for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for individuals with related disorders.
Neuropathology: A neuropathologist is expert in the diagnosis of diseases of the nervous system and skeletal muscles and functions as a consultant primarily to neurologists and neurosurgeons. The neuropathologist is knowledgeable in the infirmities of humans as they affect the nervous and neuromuscular systems, be they degenerative, infectious, metabolic, immunologic, neoplastic, vascular, or physical in nature.
Pediatric Pathology: A pediatric pathologist is expert in the laboratory diagnosis of diseases that occur during fetal growth, infancy, and child development. The practice requires a strong foundation in general pathology and substantial understanding of normal growth and development, along with extensive knowledge of pediatric medicine.