Types of effusion
- transudate
- exudate (thin or thick)
- blood
- chyle
- bile
- CSF
- iatrogenic fluids
Bilateral pleural effusion
- tend to be transudates
- due to rise in capillary pressure or fall in blood proteins
- exudative bilateral effusion: metastasis, lymphoma, pulmonary embolism, rheumatoid disease, SLE, post-cardiac injury syndrome, myxedema and some ascites related effusions
Right sided effusions
- ascites
- heart failure
- liver abscess
Left sided effusions
- pancreatitis
- pericarditis
- esophageal rupture
- aortic dissection
Massive pleural effusions
- lung or breast metastases
- heart failure
- cirrhosis
- tuberculosis
- empyema
- trauma