Etiology of pleural effusions_Chinese Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Authors：

WU Yanbing ,  DU Ying , LU Yong , WANG Xiaojuan , XU Lili

Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, P. R. China;

Corresponding author：

DU Ying, Email: doing0814@126.com

Keywords：

Pleural effusion; Pneumonia; Malignancy; Tuberculosis

DOI：

10.7507/1671-6205.201610032

Video：

Export PDF Favorites Scan Get Citation

Abstract Full text Figures/Tables Video References Cited by

Objective To investigate the etiology of pleural effusions. Methods All adult patients with pleural effusions of unknown etiology admitted to this hospital between January 2011 and December 2013 were investigated. The etiological data of these patients with pleural effusion were retrospectively reviewed. Results During the 3-year period, 1 541 patients eventually were included in this study. The most frequent cause of pleural effusions was bacterial infection (38.7%), followed by malignancy (23.7%), congestive heart failure (13.1%), and tuberculosis (10.7%). The etiology of 120 patients (7.8%) remained uncertain. Conclusions The most frequent cause of pleural effusion is bacterial infection, followed by malignancy, cardiac failure, and tuberculosis. These four etiologies account for over 85 percent of all pleural effusions.

Citation： WU Yanbing, DU Ying, LU Yong, WANG Xiaojuan, XU Lili. Etiology of pleural effusions. Chinese Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2017, 16(5): 490-494. doi: 10.7507/1671-6205.201610032 Copy

1.	Corcoran JP, Hallifax R, Rahman NM.Advances in the management of pleural disease. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2013;7(5):499-513.
2.	Thomas R, Lee YC.Causes and management of common benign pleural effusions. Thorac Surg Clin. 2013;23(1):25-42.
3.	Koffi N, Aka-Danguy E, Kouassi B,et al.[Etiologies of pleurisies in African milieu. Experience of the Cocody Pneumology department (Abidjan-Cote d'Ivoire)]. Rev Pneumol Clin. 1997;53(4):193-196.
4.	Afful B, Murphy S, Antunes G,et al.The characteristics and causes of pleural effusions in Kumasi Ghana-a prospective study.Trop Doct. 2008;38(4):219-220.
5.	Light RW. Pleural Effusions. Medical Clinics of North America. 2011; 95(6):1055-70.
6.	Light RW,Macgregor MI,Luchsinger PC,et al.Pleural effusions:the diagnostic separation of transudates and exudates. Ann Intern Med. 1972;77(4):507-513.
7.	Moy MP,Levs.ky JM, Berko NS,et al.A new,simple method for estimating pleural effusion size on CT scans. Chest. 2013;143(4):1054-1059.
8.	Lisboa T, Waterer GW, Lee YC.Pleural infection: changing bacteriology and its implications. Respirology. 2011;16(4):598-603.
9.	Farjah F, Symons RG, Krishnadasan B,et al.Management of pleural space infections: a population-based analysis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007;133(2):346-351.
10.	Finley C, Clifton J, Fitzgerald JM,et al.Empyema: an increasing concern in Canada. Can Respir J. 2008;15(2):85-89.
11.	Grijalva CG,Zhu Y, Nuorti JP,et al.Emergence of parapneumonic empyema in the USA. Thorax. 2011;66(8):663-668.
12.	Light RW.Parapneumonic effusions and empyema. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2006;3(1):75-80.
13.	Koegelenberg CF, Diacon AH, Bolliger CT.Parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema. Respiration. 2008;75(3):241-250.
14.	Huang HC,Chang HY,Chen CW,et al.Predicting factors for outcome of tube thoracostomy in complicated parapneumonic effusion for empyema.Chest.1999,115(3):751-756.
15.	Satpathy SK, Behera CK, Nanda P.Outcome of parapneumonic empyema. Indian J Pediatr. 2005;72(3):197-199.
16.	Mohanty S, Kapil A, Das BK. Bacteriology of parapneumonic pleural effusions in an Indian hospital. Trop Doct. 2007;37(4):228-229.
17.	Mongardon N, Pinton-Gonnet C, Szekely B, et al. Assessment of chronic pain after thoracotomy: a 1-year prevalence study. Clin J Pain 2011; 27: 677-681.
18.	Heffner JE. Diagnosis and management of malignant pleural effusions. Respirology. 2008;13(1):5-20.
19.	Erin M DeBiasi, Margaret A Pisani, Terrence E Murphy, et al. Mortality Among Patients with Pleural Effusion Undergoing Thoracentesis. Eur Respir J. 2015 Aug; 46(2): 495-502.
20.	Porcel JM, Vives M. Etiology and pleural fluid characteristics of large and massive effusions. Chest. 2003;124(3):978-983.
21.	Light RW. Update on tuberculous pleural effusion. Respirology. 2010;15(3):451-458.
22.	Al-Alusi F.Pleural effusion in Iraq:a prospective study of 100 cases.Thorax,1986;41(6):492-493.
23.	Prabhudesai PP,Mahashur AA, Mehta N,Ajay R. Exudative pleural effusions in patients over forty years of age--an analysis of seventy-six patients.J Postgrad Med. 1993;39(4):190-193.
24.	al-Qorain A, Larbi EB, al-Muhanna F, Satti MB, Baloush A, Falha K. Pattern of pleural effusion in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: a prospective study. East Afr Med J. 1994;71(4):246-249.
25.	Liam CK, Lim KH, Wong CM. Causes of pleural exudates in a region with a high incidence of tuberculosis. Respirology. 2000;5(1):33-38.
26.	Kalaajieh WK. Etiology of exudative pleural effusions in adults in North Lebanon.Can Respir J.2001;8(2):93-97.
27.	王宇.全国第五次结核病流行病学抽样调查报告.中国防痨杂志.2012,343(8):485-487.0.

1. Corcoran JP, Hallifax R, Rahman NM.Advances in the management of pleural disease. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2013;7(5):499-513.
2. Thomas R, Lee YC.Causes and management of common benign pleural effusions. Thorac Surg Clin. 2013;23(1):25-42.
3. Koffi N, Aka-Danguy E, Kouassi B,et al.[Etiologies of pleurisies in African milieu. Experience of the Cocody Pneumology department (Abidjan-Cote d'Ivoire)]. Rev Pneumol Clin. 1997;53(4):193-196.
4. Afful B, Murphy S, Antunes G,et al.The characteristics and causes of pleural effusions in Kumasi Ghana-a prospective study.Trop Doct. 2008;38(4):219-220.
5. Light RW. Pleural Effusions. Medical Clinics of North America. 2011; 95(6):1055-70.
6. Light RW,Macgregor MI,Luchsinger PC,et al.Pleural effusions:the diagnostic separation of transudates and exudates. Ann Intern Med. 1972;77(4):507-513.
7. Moy MP,Levs.ky JM, Berko NS,et al.A new,simple method for estimating pleural effusion size on CT scans. Chest. 2013;143(4):1054-1059.
8. Lisboa T, Waterer GW, Lee YC.Pleural infection: changing bacteriology and its implications. Respirology. 2011;16(4):598-603.
9. Farjah F, Symons RG, Krishnadasan B,et al.Management of pleural space infections: a population-based analysis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007;133(2):346-351.
10. Finley C, Clifton J, Fitzgerald JM,et al.Empyema: an increasing concern in Canada. Can Respir J. 2008;15(2):85-89.
11. Grijalva CG,Zhu Y, Nuorti JP,et al.Emergence of parapneumonic empyema in the USA. Thorax. 2011;66(8):663-668.
12. Light RW.Parapneumonic effusions and empyema. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2006;3(1):75-80.
13. Koegelenberg CF, Diacon AH, Bolliger CT.Parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema. Respiration. 2008;75(3):241-250.
14. Huang HC,Chang HY,Chen CW,et al.Predicting factors for outcome of tube thoracostomy in complicated parapneumonic effusion for empyema.Chest.1999,115(3):751-756.
15. Satpathy SK, Behera CK, Nanda P.Outcome of parapneumonic empyema. Indian J Pediatr. 2005;72(3):197-199.
16. Mohanty S, Kapil A, Das BK. Bacteriology of parapneumonic pleural effusions in an Indian hospital. Trop Doct. 2007;37(4):228-229.
17. Mongardon N, Pinton-Gonnet C, Szekely B, et al. Assessment of chronic pain after thoracotomy: a 1-year prevalence study. Clin J Pain 2011; 27: 677-681.
18. Heffner JE. Diagnosis and management of malignant pleural effusions. Respirology. 2008;13(1):5-20.
19. Erin M DeBiasi, Margaret A Pisani, Terrence E Murphy, et al. Mortality Among Patients with Pleural Effusion Undergoing Thoracentesis. Eur Respir J. 2015 Aug; 46(2): 495-502.
20. Porcel JM, Vives M. Etiology and pleural fluid characteristics of large and massive effusions. Chest. 2003;124(3):978-983.
21. Light RW. Update on tuberculous pleural effusion. Respirology. 2010;15(3):451-458.
22. Al-Alusi F.Pleural effusion in Iraq:a prospective study of 100 cases.Thorax,1986;41(6):492-493.
23. Prabhudesai PP,Mahashur AA, Mehta N,Ajay R. Exudative pleural effusions in patients over forty years of age--an analysis of seventy-six patients.J Postgrad Med. 1993;39(4):190-193.
24. al-Qorain A, Larbi EB, al-Muhanna F, Satti MB, Baloush A, Falha K. Pattern of pleural effusion in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: a prospective study. East Afr Med J. 1994;71(4):246-249.
25. Liam CK, Lim KH, Wong CM. Causes of pleural exudates in a region with a high incidence of tuberculosis. Respirology. 2000;5(1):33-38.
26. Kalaajieh WK. Etiology of exudative pleural effusions in adults in North Lebanon.Can Respir J.2001;8(2):93-97.
27. 王宇.全国第五次结核病流行病学抽样调查报告.中国防痨杂志.2012,343(8):485-487.0.

Chinese Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Etiology of pleural effusions

Abstract Full text Figures/Tables Video References Cited by

Previous Article

Next Article

Format

Content