Exudates Thicker, more viscous fluid is usually due to greater damage to tissues, allowing blood proteins as well as water to seep out. Pneumonia , caused by viruses and by bacteria, damage lung tissue and can open the way for exudates to enter the pleural space. Tuberculosis can infect the pleura as well as the lungs and cause them to weep liquid. Cancers of many types settle in the lungs or the pleura and weep liquids from their surface. Depending upon its size and the amount of damage it has done, a pulmonary embolism can also produce an exudate.
Several drugs can damage the lung linings as an unexpected side effect.
None of these drugs is commonly used. An esophagus perforated by cancer, trauma, or other conditions can spill liquids and even food into the chest. The irritation creates an exudate in the pleural space. Pancreatic disease can cause massive fluid in the abdomen, which can then find its way into the chest. Pericarditis is an inflammation of the sac that contains the heart.