abstract background: regarding the diagnostic errors of the classic criteria including serum ascites albumin gradient (saag), total protein concentration and the adapted light et al’s criteria in distinguishing transudate versus exudates, we evaluated the ascitic fluid to serum bilirubin ratio as a new criteria in this regard. we also evaluated whether the combination of bilirubin ratio with ea...

BACKGROUND Transudative pleural effusions due to pleuroperitoneal communication occur in 1.6-10% of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) and usually have overtly elevated glucose concentrations. METHODS We report two cases of verified pleuroperitoneal communication with minimally elevated pleural fluid glucose levels. We reviewed the literature of all PD patients with pleuroperitoneal ...

Pleural involvement with systemic amyloidosis has been reported rarely in the literature. Diagnosis of this entity by percutaneous needle biopsy of the pleura has been described only in two prior case reports. We describe five patients in whom the diagnosis of pleural amyloidosis was established by Cope needle biopsy during evaluation of pleural effusions of indeterminate cause. Three patients ...

BACKGROUND The objective of the study was to evaluate the additional value of beta-glucuronidase (BGD), a lysosomal enzyme in the analysis of transudative and exsudative pleural effusions, especially between malignant and non-malignant effusions. DESIGN AND METHODS Pleural fluid samples obtained from four respective diagnostic groups: transudates parapneumonic effusions, malignant effusions o...

Pleural effusion can occur as complication of many diseases. They are classified broadly in to exudative and transudative effusion based on Light's criteria. Common causes of transudative effusions are congestive cardiac failure, cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome, superior venacava obstruction, peritoneal dialysis, glomerulonephritis, myxoedema, pulmonary emboli and sarcoidosis whereas exudative PE...

Pleural pathologies in the Middle East are diverse and evolving partly due to steady immigration and increasing industrialization. Data about pleural diseases in the Middle East is relatively scarce. We are not aware of any review on this topic in current medical literature. This article aims at fulfilling this specific task. In this paper, we are reviewing selected English-written articles and...

abstract  background: at present, differentiation between exudative and transudative pleural  effusion is based solely on laboratory measures and is time-consuming. asimple  bedside method would be of great help to differentiate between these two types of effusions.  we present a new method for this purpose assessed in 46 patients.  methods: standard laboratory tests and our method were tested ...

Ascites can be defined as the abnormal accumulation of fluid inside the peritoneal cavity. Earlier ascites was classified as transudative and exudative based on the total protein concentration of the ascitic fluid. The traditional concept of high protein ascites(> 2.5 g/dl) as exudate was questioned because: (a) the normal peritoneal fluid protein concentration is some times > 4 g/dl(1); (b) th...