Evaluation and Management of Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion

Objective To analyze the current practice on evaluation and management of undiagnosed pleural effusion.Methods 15 cases of undiagnosed pleural effusion from a teaching hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Results Male:female,11∶4.Medi an duration of pleural effusion before admission was 1 month (7 days to 5 months ).Average hospitalization days was 33.1±4.9(7～64)days.8 cases (53.3%)were evaluated via history, physical examination, chest radiograph, serum and pleural fruid analyses only. Other 7 cases (46.7%) received bronchoscopy, needle biopsy of pleura and thoracoscopy. All except 1 received anti-tuberculosis therapy on discharge. 10 patients were followed up with a median duration of 1 year and 4 months (1 month to 4.5 years).Pleural effusion subsided in 6,improved in 2 and recurred in 2.Conclusion Patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion were over considered to have tuberculosis and received antituberculotic treatment. Prospective study is needed to clarify the evolution and prognosis of undiagnosed pleural effusion in Chinese population.