This Publication Is Searchable The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Section 6. Pulmonary Disorders Chapter 80. Inflammation of the pleura, usually producing an exudative pleural effusion and stabbing chest pain worsened by respiration and cough. The pleura usually first becomes edematous and congested.
Cellular infiltration follows, and fibrinous exudate develops on the pleural surface.
The exudate may be reabsorbed or organized into fibrous tissue resulting in pleural adhesions. More often, pleural exudate develops from an outpouring of fluid rich in plasma proteins from damaged capillaries. Symptoms and Signs Sudden pain is the dominant symptom of pleurisy. Typically, pleuritic pain is a stabbing sensation aggravated by breathing and coughing, but it can vary. It may be only a vague discomfort, or it may occur only when the patient breathes deeply or coughs.