The antinuclear antibodies (ANA) test has been a cornerstone of the evaluation of connective tissue disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the ANA test in pleural or pericardial effusions of unknown causes. Over a 3-yr period, a total of 126 pleural fluid and 30 pericardial fluid samples were analysed. ANA tests were performed using a commercially available ki...

introduction: medical thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for diagnosing and treating pleural diseases. despite its proven role in diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, it is infrequently used, which could be because of cost of equipment and lack of training. we analyzed our initial 3 years record of thoracoscopy at himalayan institute of medical sciences, a tertiary care center in hi...

The possibility of tuberculous pleuritis should be considered in every patient with an undiagnosed pleural effusion, for if this diagnosis is not made the patient will recover only to have a high likelihood of subsequently developing pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis Between 3% and 25% of patients with tuberculosis will have tuberculous pleuritis. The incidence of pleural tuberculosis is...

Background: Blind percutaneous pleural biopsy has traditionally been performed to investigate the etiology of exudative pleural effusion in which the initial thoracocentesis has been non- diagnostic. In view of the increasing use of image-guided and thoracoscopic pleural biopsies, this study examined the role of blind Abrams pleural biopsy in the investigation of the exudative pleural effusion ...

BACKGROUND Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare, invasive and often fatal neoplasm that develops in the thin layer of tissue surrounding the lungs known as the pleura. Although rare, mesotheliomas do occur in the young; their characteristics are distinct from those of older patients. CASE PRESENTATION This is a case report of a 17-year-old boy who had moderate dyspnea, cough, right-sided ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify the participation of the coagulation system in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions. INTRODUCTION Imbalance between immunologic and metabolic factors triggers a sequence of events resulting in pleural reactions and accumulation of fluid. The coagulation system, which is fundamental for the maintenance of homeostasis, contributes to th...

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis a clinical entity formed by the spreading of cervical infection from dental and oropharyngeal structures through deep cavities between fascia on neck to mediastinum, pleural pericardial spaces with necrosis soft tissue has high mortality. Herein we present case 73-year-old admitted emergency department septic clinic. The patient was diagnosed descending due ...

INTRODUCTION Closed needle pleural biopsy (CNPB) has historically been the gold standard procedure for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an efficient biomarker for tuberculosis that is measurable in pleural fluids. OBJECTIVE We compared the diagnostic accuracy of the pleural ADA (P-ADA) level and histopathological findings of CNPB specimens in patients with p...

UNLABELLED Procalcitonin has been shown to be useful in separating infection from non-infective disorders. However, infection is often paralleled by tissue inflammation. Most studies supporting the use of procalcitonin were confounded by more significant inflammation in the infection group. Few studies have examined the usefulness of procalcitonin when adjusted for inflammation.Pleural inflamma...

BACKGROUND More than 85% of patients develop pleural effusions after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Although the majority resolve spontaneously, post-CABG effusions can persist. The cause of these persistent effusions is unknown, and the histology of the pleural changes has seldom been reported. OBJECTIVES To describe the patient characteristics and pathologic condition of the pleura...