Pleural Effusion Secondary to Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are sometimes associated with pleural effusion. In this chapter, the exudative pleural effusions resulting from pancreatic…
Pleural Effusion Due to Pulmonary Embolization The disorder most commonly overlooked in the workup of a patient with pleural effusion is pulmonary embolization (1,2). The possibility of pulmonary embolization should…
Pleural Effusion Due to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Other Viruses, Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, and Rickettsiae Over the last three decades, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has had a profound impact on…
Pleural Effusion Due to Parasitic Infection Pleural effusions secondary to parasitic infections are uncommon in the United States, but in some countries, they account for a sizable percentage of all…
Pleural Effusion Secondary to Fungal Infections, Actinomycosis, and Nocardiosis In this chapter, pleural disease resulting from fungal infections is discussed. Although fungal diseases account for less than 1% of all…
Tuberculous Pleural Effusions The diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis should be considered in any patient with an exudative pleural effusion. A pleural effusion as an isolated manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) has…
Parapneumonic Effusions and Empyema Despite the advent of potent antibiotics, bacterial pneumonia still results in significant morbidity and mortality in the American population. The annual incidence of bacterial pneumonia is…
Primary Tumors of the Pleura Malignant Mesotheliomas Solitary Fibrous Tumors Body Cavity Lymphoma Pyothorax-Associated Lymphoma MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMAS Malignant mesotheliomas are thought to arise from the mesothelial cells that line the…
Pleural Effusions Related to Metastatic Malignancies INCIDENCE Malignant disease involving the pleura is the second leading cause of exudative pleural effusions after parapneumonic effusions. Because many parapneumonic effusions are small…
Transudative Pleural Effusions Transudative pleural effusions occur when the systemic factors influencing the formation and absorption of pleural fluids are altered so that pleural fluid accumulates. In this chapter, the…
