Caution! Terminology Differences Ahead: Lung Diseases in French and English

​In the complex realm of healthcare, language nuances carry a lot of weight, impacting physicians’ choice of treatment, testing, and even what diagnoses they make. Thus, when translating medical documents, it is essential to meticulously research terminology in order to correctly render these nuances in the target language. In this post, I’d like to illustrate this matter using the example of lung diseases, specifically the French term pneumopathie.
 
I came to the medical translation industry with a background in language, not medicine, so there was a steep learning curve as I collected hundreds (maybe thousands) of medical terms over the years. I observed that, in many cases, the French language had one word that translated into several different words in English. Therefore, I couldn’t always rely on word-for-word translation. The term pneumopathie is a prime example. It doesn’t always translate as lung or pulmonary disease. Sometimes it means pneumonia or pneumonitis. I’ve illustrated this below. You'll see French terms with pneumopathie on the right and their English translation on the left.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: Pneumopathie d'hypersensibilité

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Broncho-pneumopathie chronique obstructive

Infectious pneumonia: Pneumopathie infectieuse

Diffuse interstitial lung disease: Pneumopathie infiltrative diffuse

Pneumococcal pneumonia: Pneumopathie à pneumocoque

Community-acquired pneumonia: Pneumonie communautaire

What's the difference?

It's all in the definition. You can scour the internet, dictionaries, and medical journals and come up with specific definitions. For the sake of brevity, here is my summary:
 
French:
Pneumopathie tends to have a broad sense and refers to various lung diseases or pathologies. It's important to note that context plays a large role in how the term is used.
 
English:
Pneumonia: an inflammatory lung infection that primarily affects the tiny air sacs, known as alveoli. It can be caused by various infectious agents, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.
Lung (Pulmonary) Disease: a broad term that encompasses a variety of conditions affecting the lungs, including infections, chronic conditions, and structural abnormalities.
Pneumonitis: an inflammation of lung tissue. It can be caused by various factors, including infections, exposure to irritants (such as chemicals or dust), and certain medications.
 
As you can see, each one has a different meaning. Thus, it is important to thoroughly research this one French word in its full context, as it can have multiple meanings, each of which translates differently in English.