Yataco José C, Dweik Raed A
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH 44195-5038, USA.
Cleve Clin J Med. 2005 Oct;72(10):854-6, 858, 862-4 passim. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.72.10.854.
Pleural effusions are very common, and physicians of all specialties encounter them. A pleural effusion represents the disruption of the normal mechanisms of formation and drainage of fluid from the pleural space. A rational diagnostic workup, emphasizing the most common causes, will reveal the etiology in most cases.