Differential diagnosis of major causes of pleural effusion

Differential diagnosis of major causes of pleural effusion

Differential Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion

Transudative

• Congestive heart failure ** Indicates most common causes.
• Cirrhosis *
• Renal failure
• Hypoalbuminemia

Exudative

• Malignancy
  • Metastases *
  • Malignant pleural mesothelioma
  • Lymphoma
• Inflammatory disease
  • Infection (bacterial, mycobacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic)
    • • Empyema
  • Parapneumonic effusion *
  • Collagen vascular disease: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis
• Trauma
• Thoracic or abdominal surgery *
• Acute pulmonary embolism *
• Abdominopelvic pathologic conditions *
  • Ascites
  • Pancreatitis
  • Peritonitis
  • Other disease conditions of the abdomen or pelvis
  • Chylothorax
  • Hemothorax