Clinical Characteristics and Diagnostic Utility of Eosinophilic Pleural effusion.

Roh, Gil Hwan; Kang, Soo Jung; Youn, Jong Wook; Hwang, Jung Hye; Ham, Hyoung Suk; Kang, Eun Hae; Lim, Young Hee; An, Chang Hyeok

doi:2000.49.6.733

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 49(6); 2000 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2000;49(6):733-739.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2000.49.6.733 Published online December 1, 2000.

Clinical Characteristics and Diagnostic Utility of Eosinophilic Pleural effusion.

Gil Hwan Roh, Soo Jung Kang, Jong Wook Youn, Jung Hye Hwang, Hyoung Suk Ham, Eun Hae Kang, Young Hee Lim, Chang Hyeok An

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Pleural eosinophilia is rare and commonly considered to be an indicator of good prognosis. The diagnostic significance of eosinophilic pleural effusions remains controversial despite a century of observation and discussion. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of eosinophilia in 446 consecutive samples of pleural fluid, to review the cause of eosinophilic pleural effusion and to determine whether the presence of eosinophils increases the likehood of benign conditions. METHOD: A retrospective analysis was performed upon patients that underwent first thoracentesis due to pleural effusion between January 1999 and December 1999. RESULTS: Eosinophilic pleural effusions were identified in 24 of the 446 patients (5.4%). Malignancy, parapneumonic effusion and tuberculosis were determined the major causes of pleural effusion (80.6%). Malignancy was diagnosed as frequently in eosinophilic effusions as in non-eosinophilic effusions (54.2% vs 50.5%, p=0.725). No difference was found in the prevalence of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic effusion according to the etiology. The mean blood eosinophil ratio in patients with eosinophilic pleural effusion was 5.4% and no significant correlation existed between the blood and pleural eosinophilic count. CONCLUSION: Pleural eosinophilia is not helpful for differentiating benign and malignant etiology and is not related with blood eosinophilia or repeated tapping.

Key Words: Eosinophilia, Malignancy, Pleural effusion