Pleural and Mediastinal Disease DSA Flashcards
What is a pleural effusion?
Created by an imbalance between production and removal of fluid from the pleural space.
What are the 2 mechanisms that leads to accumulation of fluid in the pleural space?
1. Increased capillary hydrostatic pressure
2. Decreased plasma oncotic pressure
What mechanisms cause pleural effusion by increasing hydrostatic pressure?
- HF
- SVC syndrome
- Constrictive pericarditis
What is the most common finding auscultated over a pleural effusion; and what is auscultated toward the top of an effusion?
- Decreased to absent breath sounds over an effusion
- Bronchial breath sounds toward the top of an effusion
What mechanisms cause pleural effusion by decreasing plasma oncotic pressure?
- Cirrhosis
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Hypoalbunemia
What are the 3 leading causes of pleural effusion in the US?
- 1. Heart failure
- 2. Pneumonia
- 3. Cancer
Which imaging study is usually the first study used to identify and quantify the amount of fluid seen with a pleural effusion?
CXR
How much pleural fluid is needed to blunt the costophrenic angle on CXR?
~250 mL
Which sign is created as greater amounts of fluid with a pleural effusion opacify the lower thorax?
“Meniscus sign”
After the presence of a pleural effusion is documented what study is used to evaluate whether an effusion is free-flowing or loculated (non-free flowing) and whether a sufficient quantity is present to perform thoracentesis?
Decubitus films
How much distance measured from the pleural fluid line to the chest wall on a decubitus radiograph is indicative of adequate pleural fluid to perform thoracentesis?
1-cm distance
Bilateral transudative pleural effusions are commonly associated with what underlying diseases?
HF, cirrhosis, nephrosis, liver failyre
Bilatral exudative pleural effusions suggest what underlying disease(s)?
Malignancy, but may aso occur in pt’s w/ pleuritis due to SLE and other collagen vascular disorders
Lymphocytic dominant exudate is most often due to
- Maligancy
- TB
How do we distinguish between transudative and exudative?
Compare pleural fluid and serum levels of LDH and protein
Exudative pleural effusions are predominately caused by what?
- MC: Inflammation, infections, malignancies
- Less commonly by: collagen vascular disease, intra-abdominal process and hypothyroidism
- Venous thromboembolic disease
Transdative pleural effusions are predominately caused by what?
Unbalanced hydrostatic forces and are associated with:
- HF,
- Cirrhosis
- Nephrophtic syndrome
- Pericarditis
_________ effusions typically have low leukocyte count (below 1000/uL).
Transudative
- Process to treat pleural effusion via thoracentesis
-
CXR: ID and quantify fluid in pleural effusion: 250 mL of pleural fluid is needed to blunt the costophrenic angle on CXR.
* +: Meniscus sign
-
CXR: ID and quantify fluid in pleural effusion: 250 mL of pleural fluid is needed to blunt the costophrenic angle on CXR.
- Find out whether the fluid is free-flowing or loculated (not free flowing) and whether there is enough fluid to perform a thoracentesis: Decubitis film and 1 cm distance between [pleural fluid line - chest wall] => thoracentis
* - Spiral chest CT to test for PE
* - US to help guide thoracentesis, detect loculations or detect pleural abnormalities not detected by CXR.
- Find out whether the fluid is free-flowing or loculated (not free flowing) and whether there is enough fluid to perform a thoracentesis: Decubitis film and 1 cm distance between [pleural fluid line - chest wall] => thoracentis