Diagnostic Thoracentesis and Pleural Biopsy in Pleural Effusions
Authors: HEALTH AND PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1985)

Position Paper1 November 1985Diagnostic Thoracentesis and Pleural Biopsy in Pleural EffusionsHEALTH AND PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEEHEALTH AND PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEESearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-103-5-799 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptPleural effusions may develop as a complication of many local and systemic disease processes (1). In some instances, the cause of the effusion will be apparent from the associated clinical circumstances, for example, recurrent effusions in patients with exacerbations of congestive heart failure. However, even in this setting, effusions may develop as a manifestation of a comorbid condition, such as pulmonary emboli in a patient with congestive heart failure. At other times, pleural effusions, especially unilateral effusions, will occur in patients in whom no specific cause is obvious on the basis of a careful clinical examination. In these patients an...References1. LIGHT R. Pleural Diseases. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger; 1983. Google Scholar2. BLACK L. The pleural space and pleural fluid. Mayo Clin Proc. 1972;47:493-506. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. LIGHTMACGREGORLUCHSINGERBALL RMPW Pleural effusions: the diagnostic separation of transudates from exudates. Ann Intern Med. 1972;77:507-13. LinkGoogle Scholar4. PETERMANSPEICHER TC. Evaluating pleural effusions: a two-stage laboratory approach. JAMA. 1984;252:1051-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. LIGHTEROZANBALL RYW Cells in pleural fluid: their value in differential diagnosis. Arch Intern Med. 1973;132:854-60. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. DINESPIERREFRANZEN DRS. The value of cells in the pleural fluid in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions. Mayo Clin Proc. 1975;50:571-2. 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Frazier, M.D.; Richard B. Hornick, M.D.; Willis C. Maddrey, M.D.; and Seymour Perry, M.D. Members of the Health and Public Policy Committee for the 1985-86 term include Edwin P. Maynard, III, M.D., chairman; John H. Eisenberg, M.D.; Richard G. Farmer, M.D.; Boy Frame, M.D.; John R. Hogness, M.D.; William L. Hughes, M.D.; Charles E. Lewis, M.D.; Malcolm L. Peterson, M.D.; Richard J. Reitemeier, M.D.; Helen L. Smits, M.D.; and Paul D. Stolley, M.D. This paper was adopted by the Board of Regents on 26 July 1985. 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