Diagnosis of pleural effusions: what's new?

What is it about?

Pleural effusions, which are collections of fluid between the lung and the chest wall, are very common. Approximately 1.5 million new pleural effusions are identified every year in the US alone. More than 60 possible causes have been identified, sometimes difficult to recognize in a given individual. Many new tools have become available in medicine in the past decade and have been applied to diagnosis of pleural effusions. This short review summarizes the evolution of diagnosis in pleural diseases.

Featured Image