• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.5
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• pp.199-210
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• 2014

Pleural effusion is not a rare disease in Korea. The diagnosis of pleural effusion is very difficult, even though the patients often complain of typical symptoms indicating of pleural diseases. Pleural effusion is characterized by the pleural cavity filled with transudative or exudative pleural fluids, and it is developed by various etiologies. The presence of pleural effusion can be confirmed by radiological studies including simple chest radiography, ultrasonography, or computed tomography. Identifying the causes of pleural effusions by pleural fluid analysis is essential for proper treatments. This review article provides information on the diagnostic approaches of pleural effusions and further suggested ways to confirm their various etiologies, by using the most recent journals for references.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.1031-1038
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• 1998

Background: Most of malignant pleural effusions are serous but 8-33% of them are bloody. We wanted to evaluate the relationships between gross appearance and pleural CEA level or results of histocytology in malignancy associated pleural effusions. We also tried to reevaluate the meaning of CEA measurement in histocytologically proved or unproved malignancy associated pleural effusions. Methods: We studied 98 cases of malignancy associated pleural effusions, 50 cases of histocytologically proven malignant effusions and 48 cases of histocytologically unproven paramalignant effusions. We had observed gross appearance and conventional laboratory values and CEA levels for pleural effusions. Results: 44.9% of malignancy associated effusions were bloody(63.6% of bloody effusions were histocytologically proven malignant effusion). 65.0% of malignancy associated pleural effusions which have RBCs numbers over $100,000/mm^3$ were cytologically proven malignant effusions. 72.7% of cytologically proven malignant effusions had increased pleural fluid CEA level over 10 ng/ml. 58.2% of cases with pleural CEA over 10 ng/ml had positive results in pleural bistocytology. There was no definable relationships between pleural fluid CEA elevation and RBCs numbers and results of pleural fluid cytology. Conclusion: About half of the cases with malignancy associated pleural effusions were bloody. Histocytologically proven malignant effusions were more common in bloody effusion than non-bloody effusion(63.6% Vs 38.9%). But increased red blood cell numbers was not associated with positivity of pleural histocytology. Pleural fluid CEA elevation(over 10 ng/ml) was not correlated with positive pleural histocytology. But pleural fluid CEA elevation was rare in nonmalignant pleural effusions, and than pleural CEA measurement in uncertain pleural effusions maybe helpful to distinguishes its origin.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.4
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• pp.160-162
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• 2014

Increasing incidence of pleural infection has been reported worldwide in recent decades. The pathogens responsible for pleural infection are changing and differ from those in community acquired pneumonia. The main treatments for pleural infection are antibiotics and drainage of infected pleural fluid. The efficacy of intrapleural fibrinolytics remains unclear, although a recent randomized control study showed that the novel combination of tissue plasminogen activator and deoxyribonuclease had improved clinical outcomes. Surgical drainage is a critical treatment in patient with progression of sepsis and failure in tube drainage.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.6
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• pp.320-324
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• 2012

A 55-year-old woman was admitted for an elevated serum carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125) level, and a left pleural effusion, which were detected at a routine health examination. Computed tomography of the chest was performed upon admission, revealing extensive bilateral paratracheal and mediastinal lymph node enlargement with a massive left-sided pleural effusion. Subsequent analysis of the pleural fluid demonstrated consistency with an exudate, no evidence of malignant cells, and a normal adenosine deaminase. However, the pleural fluid and serum CA-125 levels were 2,846.8 U/mL and 229.5 U/mL, respectively. A positron emission tomography did not reveal any primary focus of malignancy. Finally, a surgical mediastinoscopic biopsy of several mediastinal lymph nodes was performed, revealing non-necrotizing granulomas, consistent with sarcoidosis. After a month of treatment of prednisolone, the left pleural effusion had resolved, and after 2 months the serum CA-125 level was normalized.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2019

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) can affect all compartments of the lungs, including airways, alveoli, interstitium, vessels, and pleura. CTD-associated lung diseases (CTD-LDs) may present as diffuse lung disease or as focal lesions, and there is significant heterogeneity between the individual CTDs in their clinical and pathological manifestations. CTD-LDs may presage the clinical diagnosis a primary CTD, or it may develop in the context of an established CTD diagnosis. CTD-LDs reveal acute, chronic or mixed pattern of lung and pleural manifestations. Histopathological findings of diverse morphological changes can be present in CTD-LDs airway lesions (chronic bronchitis/bronchiolitis, follicular bronchiolitis, etc.), interstitial lung diseases (nonspecific interstitial pneumonia/fibrosis, usual interstitial pneumonia, lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, diffuse alveolar damage, and organizing pneumonia), pleural changes (acute fibrinous or chronic fibrous pleuritis), and vascular changes (vasculitis, capillaritis, pulmonary hemorrhage, etc.). CTD patients can be exposed to various infectious diseases when taking immunosuppressive drugs. Histopathological patterns of CTD-LDs are generally nonspecific, and other diseases that can cause similar lesions in the lungs must be considered before the diagnosis of CTD-LDs. A multidisciplinary team involving pathologists, clinicians, and radiologists can adequately make a proper diagnosis of CTD-LDs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.4
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• pp.161-164
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• 2013

Eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE) is defined as a pleural effusion that contains at least 10% eosinophils. EPE occurs due to a variety of causes such as blood or air in the pleural space, infection, malignancy, or an autoimmune disease. Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) associated with eosinophilic pleural effusion is a rare condition generally characterized by the presence of the signs and symptoms but not fulfilling the existing classification criteria. We report a case involving a 67-year-old man with UCTD and EPE, who has been successfully treated with a single intrapleural corticosteroid injection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.543-553
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• 2005

Radiological analysis of chest lesions detected on chest radiographs or CT scans begins with their classification into parenchymal, pleural, or extrapleural lesions according to their presumed origin. The mediastinum is divided anatomically into the anterior, middle, and posterior mediastinal compartments, and localizing a mediastinal mass to one of these divisions can facilitate their differential diagnosis. A differential diagnosis of a mediastinal mass is usually based on a number of findings, including its location; the structure from which it is arising; whether it is single, multifocal (involving several different areas or lymph node groups), or diffuse; its size and shape; its attenuation (fatty, fluid, soft-tissue, or a combination of these); the presence of calcification along with its characteristics and amount; and its opacification following the administration of contrast agents.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.226-230
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• 1995

Effusions arising from acute pancreatitis are usually small, left sided and self limiting. The incidence of pleural effusions in acute pancreatitis is reported between 3% and 17%. In chronic pancreatitis, as a consequence of fistula and pancreatitic pseudocyst formation or by spontaneous rupture of a pancreatic psudocyst directly into thoracic cavity, extremely large effusions may be seen. When the underlying pacreatic disease is asymptomatic, the diagnosis is made by measuring the amylase content of the pleural fluid. We experience a case of left sided pleural effusions caused by pancreatico-pleural fistula associated with pancreatic pseudocyst. The diagnosis was made by measuring of pleural fluid amylase level(80000U/L). Abdominal CT scan revealed pancreatic pseudocyct and pancreatitis with extension to left pleural space through esophageal hiatus and extension to left subdiaphragmatic space. Left pleural effusions were decreased after fasting, total parenteral nutrition and percutaneous pleural fluid catheter drainage. We reported a case of pleural effusions and pacreatico-pleural fistula asssociated with asymptomatic pancreatic disease with review of literatures.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 1999

Background : Pleural effusion is a common clinical problem and many clinical and laboratory evaluations, such as tumor marks, have been studied to discriminate malignant pleural fluid from benign pleural fluid. However their usefulness in the diagnosis of pleural effusion is still not established fully. We studied the diagnostic value of cyfra 21-1 in diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion. Methods: Pleural fluid was obtained from 45 patients with malignant diseases(32 lung cancer patients, 13 metastatic malignant diseases) and 47 patients with benign diseases. The level of cyfra 21-1 in the pleural fluid and serum were determined using a CYFRA 21-1 enzyme immunoassay kit(Cis-Bio International Co.). The t-test was used for comparison between two diseases groups and receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves were constructed by calculating the sensitivities and specificities of the cyfra 21-1 at several points to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the cyfra 21-1. Results: In patients with primary lung cancer, the level of cyfra 21-1 in the pleural fluid was significantly higher than those of patients with benign diseases and had positive correlations between the level of cyfra 21-1 in the pleural fluid and serum levels. In the ROC curve analysis of the pleural fluid, the curve for primary lung cancer group was located closer to the left upper comer and the cut off value, sensitivity and specificity of the cyfra 21-1 of the primary lung cancer group was determined as 22.25ng/ml, 81.8% and 78.7% respectively. Conclusions: Our data indicates that the measurement of cyfra 21-1 level in pleural effusion has useful diagnostic value to discriminate malignant pleural effusion in primary lung cancer from benign pleural effusion.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.279-285
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• 1990

Simultaneous presence of ascites and pleural effusion has been documented in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, renal disease, Meigs' syndrome and in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Mechanisms proposed in the formation of pleural effusion in most of the above diseases are lymphatic drainage and diaphragmatic defect. But sometimes, hepatic hydrothoraxes in the absence of clinical ascites and pleural effusion secondary to pulmonary or cardiac disease are noted. It is not always possible to differentiate between pleural effusion caused by transdiaphragmatic migration of ascites and by other causes based soly on biochemical analysis. Authors performed radionuclide scintigraphy after intraperitoneal administration of $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ colloid in 23 patients with both ascites and pleural effusion in order to discriminate causative mechanisms responsible for pleural effusion. Scintigraphy demonstrated the transdiaphragmatic flow of fluid from the peritoneum to pleural cavities in 13 patients correctly. In contrast, in 5 patients with pleural effusion secondary to pulmonary, pleural and cardiac diseases, radiotracers fail to traverse the diaphragm and localize in the pleural space. Ascites draining to mediastinal lymph nodes and blocked passage of lymphatic drainage were also clarified, additionaly. Conclusively, radionuclide peritoneal scintigraphy is an accurate, rapid and easy diagnostic tool in patients with both ascites and pleural effusion. It enables the causes of pleural effusion to be elucidated, as well as providing valuable information required when determining the appropriate therapy.