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A pleural effusion is accumulation of excessive fluid in the pleural space, the potential space that surrounds each lung.Under normal conditions, pleural fluid is secreted by the parietal pleural capillaries at a rate of 0.6 millilitre per kilogram weight per hour, and is cleared by lymphatic absorption leaving behind only 5–15 millilitres of fluid, which helps to maintain a functional ...
Because pleural effusion in the pediatric population is almost always parapneumonic and the need for chest tube drainage can be made on clinical grounds, British guidelines for the management of pleural infection in children do not recommend diagnostic pleural fluid sampling.
Pleural effusion and empyema - Microorganisms from the lung may trigger fluid collection in the pleural cavity, or empyema. Pleural fluid, if present, should be collected with a needle and examined. Depending on the results, complete drainage of the fluid with a chest tube may be necessary to prevent proliferation of the infection. Antibiotics ...
Pleural fluid causes symptoms far more easily than ascitic fluid, due to the lower volume of the pleural cavity as compared to the abdominal cavity. The main symptoms are usually related to the symptoms of liver cirrhosis and ascites. [4] Less often, it may be the only manifestation of chronic liver disease.
The criteria for a complicated parapneumonic effusion include Gram stain–positive or culture-positive pleural fluid, pleural fluid pH <7.20, and pleural fluid LDH that is greater than three times the upper limit of normal of serum LDH. [2] Diagnostic techniques available include plain film chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound ...
Occasionally, treatment of the underlying cancer can cause resolution of the effusion. This may be the case with types of cancer that respond well to chemotherapy, such as small cell carcinoma or lymphoma. Simple aspiration of pleural fluid can relieve shortness of breath rapidly but fluid and symptoms will usually recur within a couple of weeks.
On radiological studies, a pleural pseudotumor is visualized as a biconcave or lenticular lesion using conventional chest x-rays and CT scans. The lesion is most commonly located in the minor (horizontal) fissure of the lung. A pleural pseudotumor is also associated with the presence of dependent pleural effusions. [9]
The condition starts as an undrained pleural effusion. Over time, the undrained pleural effusion causes sustained inflammation of the pleura, which can then lead to deposition of fibrin in the pleura and the development of a fibrotic scar. Eventually, a "peel" that is rich in collagen forms around the fluid collection