Cavitated

Cavitated is an adjective meaning containing or characterized by cavities formed by cavitation. Derived from Latin cavitas 'hollow' via cavitare. The term is used across disciplines to describe spaces or voids within a solid or tissue, or within a liquid process that has produced such voids.

In dentistry, a cavitated lesion refers to dental caries that has produced a distinct cavity in enamel or dentin. Cavitated caries are typically treated by removal of decayed tissue and restoration with fillings; non-cavitated lesions may be monitored or remineralized.

In medical imaging, a cavitated lesion is a lesion that contains a hollow cavity, seen in lungs (as in tuberculosis, lung abscess, fungal infections) or in other organs. The presence and characteristics of cavitation aid differential diagnosis and treatment planning.

In fluid dynamics, cavitation refers to the formation of vapor-filled voids when local pressure falls below the liquid’s vapor pressure. Bubbles collapse violently, generating shock waves that can erode surfaces such as propeller blades, pumps, and valves; devices and designs aim to mitigate cavitation.

Cavitation can also occur in solids under cyclic loading, creating voids that coalesce into cracks, contributing to cavitation erosion in metals and polymers. The term cavitated thus conveys the presence of internal voids or damage caused by such processes.