Idiopathic Pleural Effusion

Abstract

The breadth of diagnostic possibilities with pleural effusion is well known. The reported prevalence of various causes in recent series has varied greatly, depending to some extent upon the interests of the observer and influenced in large part by the type of reporting institution. Always, a percentage of patients are left with a diagnosis of "idiopathic pleural effusion." Today, there appears to be agreement that the use of this term should be abandoned. It has been said that the term "... idiopathic pleural effusion... is idiotic from the standpoint of the physician and pathetic from that of the patient."¹ Tuberculosis . . .