page_title: Pleural effusion
section_title: Causes
hierarchical_section_title: Pleural effusion / Causes
caption_attribution_description: English: Pleural Effusion. See a full animation of this medical topic.
context_page_description: A pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs. This excess fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs. Various kinds of pleural effusion, depending on the nature of the fluid and what caused its entry into the pleural space, are hydrothorax, hemothorax, urinothorax, chylothorax, or pyothorax commonly known as pleural empyema. In contrast, a pneumothorax is the accumulation of air in the pleural space, and is commonly called a "collapsed lung".
caption: Pleural effusion
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