OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of hepatic hydrothorax and its association with Child Pugh Class in patients with liver cirrhosis. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive, analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Medical Unit-III, (Ward- 7), from June 2012 to May 2013. METHODOLOGY All patients with established diagnosis of decompensated chronic live...

conclusion serum cyfra21-1 is useful as a measure in differentiating malignant from benign pleural effusion. results there was statistically significant difference between mean of serum cyfra21-1 levels of benign (3.9±7.6) and malignant(19.5± 30) pleural effusion (p=0.01). in addition the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of serum cyfra21-1 at the...

AIMS We analyzed and examined the effect of different management strategies on short term outcomes for pediatric patients with parapneumonic pleural effusions. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 16 cases of children admitted and treated in our department of pediatric surgery for empyema or pleural effusions for a period of 30 months. RESULTS When chest drains are used alone, p...

Pleural effusion appears in approximately 40% of patients with pneumonia. Given that microbiology results are often negative, its diagnosis is frequently based on clinical criteria. Our study consisted of 266 patients, divided into infectious (n = 34), tuberculous (n = 54), paraneoplastic (n = 63), miscellaneous exudates (n = 53), and transudates (n = 62). Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1beta...

BACKGROUND Conventional biomarkers cannot always establish the cause of pleural effusions; thus, alternative tests permitting rapid and accurate diagnosis are required. The primary aim of this study is to assess the ability of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in order to diagnose the cause of pleural effusion and compare its efficacy to that of other previously identified biomarkers. METHODS We studied 118...

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...

Rheumatic polymyalgia (RPM) is a relatively common inflammatory disease of unknown origin that presents almost exclusively in adults over the age of 50. It is characterized by morning pain and stiffness in the cervical region and in the pectoral and pelvic girdles and may be associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA).1 Pleural or pericardial effusion is rare in patients with RPM without GCA and...

BACKGROUND Pleural biopsy is usually considered important for the diagnosis of pleural effusions, especially for distinguishing between tuberculosis and neoplasia, even though tuberculous pleural fluid contains sensitive biochemical markers. In regions with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, and in patient groups with a low risk of other causes of pleurisy, the positive predictive value of thes...

Approximately 40% of patients with community acquired prevent surgery it must be initiated before the fibrino-purulent stage is advanced and organisation occurs. pneumonia develop a parapneumonic effusion, despite the Placement of the catheter under ultrasound guidance availability of appropriate antibiotics. 1 This effusion may allows better positioning, particularly in multiloculated become s...