Pleural Effusion in Abdominal Diseases

This type of pleural effusion may be caused by various abdominal pathologies:

➤ In pancreatitis a left-sided pleural effusion may be present in up to 15% of patients with acute pancreatitis or pancreatic pseudocysts.

➤ Effusions are typically exudative and have a high amylase concentration. A high amylase concentration may also be found in cases of esophageal rupture where the amylase is of salivary origin.

➤ Signs and symptoms referable to the chest very frequently accompany subphrenic (subdiaphragmatic)abscesses. In liver cirrhosis, ascites may pass through small clefts in the diaphragm into the right pleural space.

➤ Pleural effusions and ascites in association with nonmetastatic pelvic tumors in women have been designated as Meig syndrome. After the operative removal of the pelvic tumor, ascites and pleural effusion dramatically resolves.