Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusions
Key Points
- Pleural effusions are common and have a broad differential, a thorough history and physical is required.
- Sampling fluid to determine a transudative or exudative process is an important step in defining etiology.
- The majority of effusions related to benign disease will resolve by treating the underlying disease and surgical intervention may not be warranted.
- The goal with exudative parapneumonic effusions is to identify and intervene in the early stages, prior to the development of an empyema.
- Symptom palliation is the treatment goal for the majority of malignant pleural effusions and this is most commonly accomplished with chemical pleurodesis or indwelling tunneled pleural catheters.
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Last updated: July 14, 2023
Citation
Worrell, Stephanie, and Rishindra M Reddy. "Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusions." Pearson's General Thoracic Surgery. STS Cardiothoracic Surgery E-Book, Chicago: Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 2023. STS Surgery, ebook.sts.org.
Worrell S, Reddy RM. Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusions. In: Darling GE, Baumgartner WA, Jacobs JP, eds. Pearson's General Thoracic Surgery. STS Cardiothoracic Surgery E-Book. Chicago: Society of Thoracic Surgeons; 2023. ebook.sts.org. Accessed September 23, 2023.
Worrell, S., & Reddy, R. M. (2023). Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusions. In Darling, G., Baumgartner, W., & Jacobs, J. (Eds.), Pearson's General Thoracic Surgery. STS Cardiothoracic Surgery E-Book. Chicago: Society of Thoracic Surgeons. ebook.sts.org
Worrell S, Reddy RM. Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusions [Internet]. In: Darling GE, Baumgartner WA, Jacobs JP, editors. Pearson's General Thoracic Surgery. STS Cardiothoracic Surgery E-Book. Chicago: Society of Thoracic Surgeons; 2023. [cited 2023 September 23]. Available from: ebook.sts.org.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusions
ID - 1418315
ED - Jacobs,J,
ED - Darling,Gail,
ED - Baumgartner,William,
Y1 - 2023/07/14/
BT - Pearson's General Thoracic
UR - https://ebook.sts.org/sts/view/Pearsons-General-Thoracic/1418315/all/Benign_and_Malignant_Pleural_Effusions
PB - Chicago: Society of Thoracic Surgeons
DB - STS Surgery
DP - Unbound Medicine
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