This Journal feature begins with a case vignette highlighting a common clinical problem. Evidence supporting various strategies is then presented, followed by a review of formal guidelines, when they ...

The indications for pleural drainage are diagnostic (to collect samples for cytologic, biologic, or chemical analysis) and therapeutic (to remove large fluid collections and improve respiratory ...

The ambiguity in medical imaging can present major challenges for clinicians who are trying to identify disease. For instance, in a chest X-ray, pleural effusion, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the ...

For the diagnosis of people with pleural effusion, an initial image-assisted Abrams needle biopsy (IA-ANPB) can match medical thoracoscopy (MT) in diagnostic accuracy in some cases, a small randomized ...

Pleural fluid analysis is the analysis of pleural fluid in the laboratory that occurs after a pleural tap, or thoracentesis. A thoracentesis is a procedure used to drain excess fluid from the space ...

Pleural effusion, sometimes called water on the lung, is a buildup of fluid between the lungs and the chest cavity. It can result from pneumonia, heart failure, cancer, and other conditions. Pleural ...