Pleural Fluid

Question 1

Obtained from the pleural cavity
Located between the parietal pleural membrane lining the chest wall and the visceral pleural membrane covering the lungs

Answer 1

Pleural fluid

Question 2

Additional Tests

Answer 2

Pleural fluid cholesterol
Fluid: serum cholesterol ratio
Pleural fluid:serum total bilirubin ratio

Question 3

Normal

Answer 3

Clear, pale yellow

Question 4

Presence of WBCs
Microbial infections (tuberculosis)

Answer 4

Turbid, white

Question 5

Hemothorax (traumatic injury)
Hemorrhagic effusion, pulmonary embolus,
tuberculosis, malignancy

Answer 5

Bloody

Question 6

Chylous material from thoracic duct leakage Pseudochylous material from chronic inflammation

Answer 6

Milky

Question 7

Rupture of amoebic liver abscess

Answer 7

Brown

Question 8

Aspergillus

Answer 8

Black

Question 9

Malignant mesothelioma (increased hyaluronic acid)

Answer 9

Viscous

Question 10

is the most diagnostically significant hematology test performed on serous fluid

Answer 10

Differential Cell Count

Question 11

special staining techniques and flow
cytometry may be used

Answer 11

Detection of Malignant Cells

Question 12

Pancreatitis, pulmonary infarction
Increase Bacterial infection -> pneumonia

Answer 12

Neutrophil

Question 13

resulting in the presence of air or blood (pneumothorax and hemothorax)

Answer 13

Eosinophil

Question 14

Tuberculosis, Viral infection, Autoimmune disorders, Malignancy

Answer 14

Lymphocytes

Question 15

Normal and reactive forms have no clinical significance
Decreased mesothelial cells are associated with tuberculosis

Answer 15

mesothelial cells

Question 16

Tuberculosis

Answer 16

Plasma cells

Question 17

Primary adenocarcinoma and small cell
carcinoma
Metastatic carcinoma

Answer 17

Malignant cells

Question 18

Decreased in tuberculosis, rheumatoid inflammation, purulent infection

Answer 18

Glucose

Question 19

Elevated in bacterial infection

Answer 19

Lactate

Question 20

Elevated in chylous effusions

Answer 20

Triglyceride

Question 21

may indicate the need for chest- tube drainage and pneumonia not responding to antibiotics

Answer 21

Lower than 7.2

Question 22

indicates an esophageal rupture

Answer 22

Low 6.0

Question 23

Elevated in tuberculosis and malignancy

Answer 23

ADA

Question 24

Elevated in pancreatitis, esophageal
rupture, and malignancy

Answer 24

Amylase

Question 25

[Microbiology test] Associated with pleural effusions include

Answer 25

Staphylococcus aureus Enterobacteriaceae anaerobes Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Question 26

Microbiology tests

Answer 26

Gram stains Cultures Mycobacteria cultures Acid-fast stains

Question 27

used to differentiate effusions of immunologic origin from non- inflammatory processes.

Answer 27

Serologic testing

Question 28

Serologic testing most frequently performed

Answer 28

ANA RF