Aim: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid ADA for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion taking the cut off value of ADA as ≥ 40 mg/dl. Methods: It was a prospective, analytical study comprised of 220 patients having pleural effusion. Sputum smear examination and sputum culture for mycobacterium tuberculosis, pleural fluid examination for protein, glucose, cell c...

background and objectives:infection of pleural fluid is a common disease and because of antibiotic administration, the microbiology of this fluid has changed. the aim of this study was to determine the common bacteria and suitable antibiotics for treatment in pleural effusion (pe). materials and methods: in this cross sectional study, 1210 samples with exudative features were cultured for poss...

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 ...

: 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...

Pleural effusions in patients with malignant disease are not invariably due to metastatic spread to the pleura and thus, they are not always incurable. For example, about 5% of patients with effusions due to lung cancer have subsequently been found to be operable and curable [1]. It is, therefore, important to assess the potential curability in all cancer patients with cytologically negative ef...

BACKGROUND Ultrasound is being used increasingly to diagnose pathological free fluid accumulation at the bedside. In addition to the detection of peritoneal and pericardial fluid, point-of-care ultrasound allows rapid bedside diagnosis of pleural fluid. FINDINGS In this short report, we describe the sonographic observation of the vertebral or 'V-line' to help confirm the presence of pleural f...

BACKGROUND Pleural infection is common, and has a >30% major morbidity and mortality-particularly when infection is caused by Gram-negative, Staphylococcus aureus or mixed aerobic pathogens. Standard pleural fluid culture is negative in ∼40% of cases. Culturing pleural fluid in blood culture bottles may increase microbial yield, and is cheap and easy to perform. OBJECTIVES To determine whethe...

Although eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE) has been a subject of numerous studies, its clinical significance still remains unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate: 1) the relative incidence and aetiology of EPE; 2) the predictors of malignancy in patients with EPE; and 3) the relationship between repeated thoracentesis and pleural fluid eosinophilia. A retrospective analysis of 2,205 pl...

Currently, new biomarkers like N-Terminal-Pro-B-Type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been used in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions. In our study, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of NT-proBNP, especially in cardiac originated pleural effusions. Forty-five patients with pleural effusions were included in the study. NT-proBNP levels and biochemical markers involved...