What condition is characterized by excess fluid in the lungs?

Pulmonary edema is specifically characterized by an accumulation of excess fluid in the lungs, which can interfere with normal gas exchange and lead to symptoms such as difficulty breathing, cough, and a feeling of suffocation. This condition arises from various causes, including heart failure, where an increase in pressure causes fluid to leak from the blood vessels into the lung tissues and air spaces.

Pneumonia, while involving fluid in the lungs, typically involves an infection that leads to inflammation and consolidation rather than just excess fluid. Asthma is primarily a condition of airway constriction rather than fluid accumulation, and chronic lung disease encompasses a range of disorders that may or may not involve fluid in the lungs. Therefore, pulmonary edema is the most precise term used to describe the condition of excess fluid specifically located within the lungs.