Treatment of Recurrent Non-Malignant Pleural Effusions

Pleural effusion remains a major cause of respiratory distress worldwide. It is estimated that around 1.5 million people develop pleural effusion annually in the United States. Pleural effusion can accumulate from pulmonary, pleural and/or extrapulmonary diseases. It can be classified as either exudative or transudative effusion by direct examination of the pleural fluid. A recent systematic review showed that Light's criteria, pleural fluid cholesterol and LDH levels, and the pleural fluid cholesterol-to-serum ratio are the most accurate diagnostic tests to differentiate exudative from transudative pleural effusion.