Etiology Underlying Pleural Effusion in Thanjavur Medical College Hospital: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: Pleural effusion is one of the most common signs seen in respiratory pathologies. An attempt to establish common etiologies underlying pleural effusion helps in effective management of the same. Materials and Methods: After obtaining proper informed consent, patients presenting with pleural effusion underwent clinical examination in addition to radiological and biochemical investigations. Where needed, the diagnosis was confirmed using pleural biopsy and bacteriological analysis. Results: Investigations confirmed tuberculosis in 23 patients, malignancy in seven cases, congestive cardiac failure in four cases, parapneumonic causes in 12 patients, hypoproteinemia in two patients, and pulmonary thromboembolism in two patients. Conclusion: The present findings show that tuberculosis is the most common cause of pleural effusion in our patients. A more comprehensive study would help us to further strengthen our findings.

Keywords

• etiology
• pleural effusion
• tuberculosis