[Tuberculous pleural effusion: clinical and laboratory evaluation]

Abstract

Clinical data concerning 44 patients with pleural tuberculosis are presented. The average age was 35 years. The main symptoms were fever (41/44), chest pain (41/44) and weight loss (34/44). In all but one case the pleural effusion was unilateral without preference for one or other hemithorax. In ten patients (23%) parenchymal lesions could be recognized on chest roentgenograms. Three patients had coexisting active pulmonary disease with positive sputum culture. Forty-nine pleural biopsies were performed in 44 patients. The culture of pleural tissue was positive in 75%, and culture of pleural fluid in 22.5%. The pleural fluid was exudative with fluid-to-serum ratios of protein and LDH exceeding 0.5 and 0.6 respectively. The cellular characterization of pleural fluid has demonstrated predominance of lymphocytes and scarcity of mesothelial cells. The patients received adequate treatment with excellent results, exhibiting an increased weight, increased hemoglobin and decreased ESR. The development of residual pleural thickening occurred in 23 out of 44 cases.