A breathless man with diffuse chest pain

Possible causes include a malignant primary lung tumour with pleural involvement, metastatic malignant pleural effusion, parapneumonic effusion, mesothelioma, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, connective tissue disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis), benign asbestos related effusion, pancreatitis, o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ 2009-04, Vol.338 (apr01 4), p.b1105-b1105
Main Authors: Chetty, Mahendran, Alluri, Ratna, Currie, Graeme P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Asbestos
Biopsy
Cellular biology
Chest Pain - etiology
Dehydrogenases
Diagnosis, Differential
Disease
Dyspnea - etiology
Embolisms
Hospitals
Humans
Hypothyroidism
Lung cancer
Male
Medical prognosis
Mesothelioma
Metastasis
Middle Aged
Pain
Pediatrics
Pleural Effusion - diagnosis
Pleural Effusion - etiology
Proteins
Rheumatoid arthritis
Tomography
Tumors
Ultrasonic imaging
Weight Loss
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Summary:Possible causes include a malignant primary lung tumour with pleural involvement, metastatic malignant pleural effusion, parapneumonic effusion, mesothelioma, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, connective tissue disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis), benign asbestos related effusion, pancreatitis, oesophageal rupture, and subphrenic abscess. 2 Computed tomography of the chest and abdomen, and pleural biopsy. 3 Pleural effusion caused by primary lung cancer, mesothelioma, or metastatic disease from another primary source are the most likely causes in this patient. Causes of pleural effusions Transudative pleural effusions Left ventricular failure Liver cirrhosis Hypoalbuminaemia Peritoneal dialysis Nephrotic syndrome Mitral stenosis Pulmonary embolism Constrictive pericarditis Urinothorax Meigs' syndrome Hypothyroidism Exudative pleural effusions Malignant pleural effusion Parapneumonic effusion Tuberculosis Pulmonary infarction Rheumatoid arthritis Autoimmune diseases Benign asbestos effusion Pancreatitis Postmyocardial infarction syndrome Yellow nail syndrome Drugs Fungal infections Sarcoidosis Ovarian hyperstimulation According to Light's criteria, 2 if at least one of the following is present, the fluid is an exudate:
ISSN:0959-8138
1468-5833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.b1105