10 most extreme places on Earth. The xiphoid process is a small triangular protrusion in the skeleton of most vertebrates that extends down from the sternum in the center of the ribcage. In babies and young children it is typically made of flexible cartilage, but typically calcifies into bone by early adulthood.
If you suffer from ongoing shortness of breath or frequent lung infections, there are many possible culprits â including cysts in your lungs that could lead to cystic lung diseases. Advertising Policy Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
Q. What are interstitial lung diseases (ILD)? A. Interstitial lung disease (ILD)--or pulmonary fibrosis--refers to more than 200 chronic lung disorders. With ILD, the tissue between the air sacs of the lungs (the interstitium) is affected by inflammation or scarring (fibrosis). Fibrosis causes lung tissue to permanently lose the ability to breathe and carry oxygen.