Pleural ultrasonography (US) represents nowadays a useful diagnostic tool in the management of pleural diseases. Detection and evaluation of pleural effusions, pneumothorax and pleural-based lesions can be performed with US, which has the advantages of wide availability, low cost, absence of radiation exposure, and portability. It is the best method for guiding interventional procedures in the ...

The burden of pleural disease continues to increase internationally leading to significant healthcare costs and an urgent need for improving management. Pleural effusion is a common presentation for many pulmonary and systemic diseases, and it is estimated that each year 1.5 million people develop a pleural effusion in the USA and 200000–250000 in the UK [1, 2]. Despite the prevalence of pleura...

BACKGROUND Positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is an accurate method for differentiating benign from malignant disease. The use of FDG-PET for the aetiological diagnosis of pleural disease was investigated in 25 patients. METHODS PET was performed on each subject before invasive procedures were used to determine the aetiological diagnosis. The PET data were ana...

Neoplastic diseases account for approximately 13% of the annual incidence of pleural effusions, and 75% of these effusions are secondary to malignancies of the lungs and breast or lymphoma. The most common pathogenic mechanisms that produce malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are (1) pleural metastasis resulting in increased membrane permeability beyond the capacity of lymphatic drainage, (2) met...

A wide range of diseases may be the cause of an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space. Pleural effusion is a major diagnostic problem, since the pleura is an inner cavity with no direct access. The aim of this review is to provide a practical approach to the investigation of the patient presenting with pleural effusion. This should help to accurately diagnose pleural effusion and keep time...

A wide range of diseases may be the cause of an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space. Pleural effusion is a major diagnostic problem, since the pleura is an inner cavity with no direct access. The aim of this review is to provide a practical approach to the investigation of the patient presenting with pleural effusion. This should help to accurately diagnose pleural effusion and keep time...

We measured the concentration of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the serum and pleural fluid of 53 patients with pleural effusions, including seven patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). High levels (above 12.5 micrograms.l-1) of NSE in pleural fluid were observed in five patients with SCLC (sensitivity 71%). However, pleural fluid NSE levels were also ...

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 ...