What does trace bilateral pleural effusions mean?
What does trace bilateral pleural effusions mean?
Bilateral pleural effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space — the space between the lungs and the chest wall, said doctors.
How long can you live with bilateral pleural effusion?
Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusions (MPE) have life expectancies ranging from 3 to 12 months, depending on the type and stage of their primary malignancy.
What causes bilateral pleural effusion?
The cause of bilateral pleural effusions is generally thought to be due to congestive heart failure (CHF), renal or liver failure, although the only two studies that have objectively evaluated this assumption draw from markedly different populations.
How do you treat loculated pleural effusion?
Loculated pleural fluid collections may be treated by thoracentesis, closed thoracostomy tube drainage, rib resection and open drainage, or thoracotomy and decortication. Recent reports have advocated the use of image-guided placement of 10- to 14-French single lumen drainage catheters as the initial therapy [1-4].
Can pleural effusion cause sudden death?
Pleural effusion is a sign of an underlying condition. Both the underlying condition and pleural effusion itself can be life threatening.
Is bilateral pleural effusion normal?
What causes pleural effusion? Pleural effusions are very common, with approximately 100,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Depending on the cause, the excess fluid may be either protein-poor (transudative) or protein-rich (exudative).
What causes loculated pleural effusion?
Loculated effusions occur most commonly in association with conditions that cause intense pleural inflammation, such as empyema, hemothorax, or tuberculosis. Occasionally, a focal intrafissural fluid collection may look like a lung mass. This situation most commonly is seen in patients with heart failure.
