Manual of the Medical Department (NAVMED P-117): Chapter 15: Medical Examinations: Physical Standards

15-41 Lungs and Chest Wall (Except Tuberculosis)

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

(a) Abnormal elevation of the diaphragm on either side.

(b) Asthma, reactive airway disease, exercise induced bronchospasm, except for childhood asthma with a reliable history of freedom from symptoms since the 12th birthday, or use of bronchodilators or other asthma-type medications.

(c) Acute infectious processes of the lung, chest wall, mediastinum, or pleura, until cured.

(d) Foreign body in trachea or bronchus.

(e) Foreign body of the chest wall causing symptoms.

(f) Lobectomy, history of, for a nontuberculous, nonmalignant lesion with residual pulmonary disease. Removal of more than one lobe is cause for rejection regardless of the absence of residuals.

(g) Other symptomatic traumatic lesions of the chest or its contents.

(h) Pneumothorax or history thereof within 1 year of date of examination if due to simple trauma or surgery; within 3 years of date of examination if of spontaneous origin. Surgical correction is acceptable if no significant residual disease or deformity remains and pulmonary function tests are within normal limits.

(i) Acute mastitis, chronic cystic mastitis, if more than mild.

(j) Bronchiectasis.

(k) Bronchitis, chronic with evidence of pulmonary function disturbance.

(l) Bronchopleural fistula.

(m) Bullous or generalized pulmonary emphysema.

(n) Chronic abscess of lung.

(o) Chronic fibrous pleuritis of sufficient extent to interfere with pulmonary function or obscure the lung field in the chest x-ray.

(p) Chronic mycotic diseases of the lung including coccidioidomycosis; residual cavitation or more than a few small sized inactive and stable residual modules demonstrated to be due to mycotic disease.

(q) Empyema, residual sacculation or unhealed sinuses of chest wall following operation for empyema.

(r) Extensive pulmonary fibrosis from any cause, producing dyspnea on exertion.

(s) Foreign body of the lung or mediastinum causing symptoms a active inflammatory reaction.

(t) Multiple cystic disease of the lung or solitary cyst which is large and incapacitating.

(u) New growth of breast; history of mastectomy.

(v) Pleurisy with effusion of unknown origin within the previous 2 years.

(w) Sarcoidosis, unless there is substantiated evidence of a complete remission of at least 2 year duration.

(x) Asbestosis.