What does it mean when you have a mild plate like atelectasis in the lung?

linear atelectasis: Lung collapse/atelectasis can occur for many reasons asthmatics get collapse because of mucus plugs in the airway.Sometimes aspiration causes atelectasis. Infection and tumor can produce atelectasis. Ateletasis can clear following disappearance of disease process. Plate-like atelectasis is usually minor area of lung collapse sometimes seen without obvious cause or scar from previous disease.

Definition: Atelectasis is defined as diminished volume affecting all or part of a lung - an incomplete expansion of part of the lung. Atelectasis can either be obstructive (most common - some sort of obstruction alters normal air flow between alveoli and trachea) or non obstructive (compression, loss of lubricant, or disease) in nature.