Twenty-three patients with nonspecific pleuritis were studied to determine clinical outcome. After a mean follow-up period of 6 months (1 to 36 months), a diagnosis was reached in 17 patients, while 6 patients remained unknown. The causes of the nonspecific pleuritis diagnosed on initial pleural biopsy were tuberculosis (11 patients, 48%), neoplasm (2 patients, 8.7%), parapneumonic effusion (1 ...

BACKGROUND Defensins, also known as human neutrophil peptides, are antimicrobial peptides present in the azurophil granules of neutrophils. We measured their level in pleural effusion in various pulmonary diseases to investigate whether they could be used as a diagnostic marker in the differential diagnosis of specific pleural diseases. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS We analyzed pleural effusion s...

OBJECTIVE A prospective randomized study was conducted in order to analyze the role of fibrinolytics in the treatment of complicated parapneumonic effusion. METHODS From 2001 to 2004, 127 consecutive patients were managed for thoracic empyema. In all cases the cause was bacterial pneumonia. Seventy patients were managed with sole tube thoracostomy (group A) and 57 with combination of tube tho...

OBJECTIVE To present a case of a patient with clinical and radiological features of reexpansion pulmonary edema, a rare and potentially fatal disease. CASE DESCRIPTION An 11-year-old boy presenting fever, clinical signs and radiological features of large pleural effusion initially treated as a parapneumonic process. Due to clinical deterioration he underwent tube thoracostomy, with evacuation o...

Despite treatment with antibiotics, patients with complicated parapneumonic effusion (PPE) and empyema have an increased morbidity and mortality due at least in part to inappropriate management of the pleural effusion. PPE should be considered in all patients with pneumonia as antibiotic therapy is being initiated. If the diaphragms cannot be seen throughout their length on the chest radiograph...

sis within the pleural space. Increased procoagulant and decreased fibrinolytic activity in response to infection is unique to the serosal spaces and although the exact mechanism still needs to be elucidated, its effects are well known: pleural surfaces coated with fibrin and fibrin strands with secondary adhesions and loculations, all complicating pleural fluid drainage [1] . The third and fin...

Treatment depends on the severity and the cause. Thoracentesis is done to relieve symptoms. Chest tubes provide continuous drainage in cases of pneumothorax, hemothorax, penetrating chest trauma, complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema, or chylothorax. Pleural sclerosis (pleurodesis) is usually indicated for patients with uncontrolled symptomatic malignant effusions. ANY CONDITIONS can ca...

OBJECTIVE Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent inducer of capillary permeability and its role as a crucial mediator in pleural fluid formation has been established. This study was conducted to assess the usefulness of VEGF for diagnosing malignant and non-malignant pleural effusions of various causes. PATIENTS AND METHODS VEGF levels in pleural effusions collected from 52 pat...

: Over 1.5 million patients are admitted to hospital with pneumonia in the United States each year. Up 50% of them can develop a parapneumonic effusion which is associated higher mortality. The incidence pleural infection continues rise, particularly elderly and those comorbidities. Parapneumonic effusions cover spectrum presentations from free-flowing ‘simple effusion’ septated ‘complicated (C...