Pleural Effusions
Pleural effusions may be caused by many different disorders. Small ones may cause no symptoms. Large ones may cause pain and shortness of breath. A pleural effusion means the presence of fluid in the pleural space - i.e. between the chest wall and the lung surface. In general they may be divided into two types, depending on the amount of protein they contain - if it's less than 30 grams per litre it's a transudate, if it's more it's an exudate. Transudates usually result from high venous pressure, such as occurs in heart failure, or from conditions where there is low protein in the blood, which can result from diseases such as hypothyroidism. They are usually bilateral.
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