text: is there a doctor in the house? i need help interpreting what this means: minimal dependant atelectasis at the right base w/ lucency suggesting airway disease bilaterally and early atherosclerotic calcifications noted to abdominal aorta. is this serious? dr. reddy 2 the rescue...  you will be just fine, but you must seek a otolaryngologist or ent specialist for future detail / specifications.  basically, both your lungs (lower region) have / has a high potential of partially- collapsing, which causes in trouble breathing and chest pain, due to the hardening / plaque formation within your aorta (which brings oxygenated blood to all parts of the body & originating from the left ventricle of the heart).  atelectasis is defined as collapse of a part of the lung or the whole lung, where the alveoli are deflated. atelectasis implies some blockage of a bronchiole or bronchus, which can be within the airway (some foreign body), from the wall (tumor) or compressing from the outside (tumor, lymph node, tubercle).   symptoms  - cough - chest pain (i believe only in rare cases, tho) - breathing difficulty - low oxygen intake  atherosclerosis is a disease affecting the arterial blood vessel. it is the hardening of the arteries and is caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries.  symptoms: - this disease is very serious and is the underlying cause of strokes and heart attacks - troublei breathing