Exudative pleurisy

The surface of the lungs is covered with pleura sheets, between which there is a small gap called the pleural cavity. A healthy person in this cavity has a certain amount of fluid. It prevents the friction of the leaves and the fusion of the lungs with the tissues of the chest. However, often with diseases in the cavity, an excessive amount of fluid accumulates, which compresses the lungs and disrupts breathing. Exudative pleurisy is an inflammatory disease with accumulation of effusion or fibrous plaque on the surface of the pleura.

Causes of the disease

This ailment is not identified as an independent pathology, but considered only as a manifestation of other diseases. Depending on the nature of the fluid being stored, exudative pleurisy can occur for several reasons.

Transudate is a fluid that accumulates in tissues and organs when their work is disturbed.

It can be:

• diseases of the kidneys, heart;
• Meigs syndrome;
• cirrhosis of the liver ;
• myxedema.

Exudate - a liquid of purulent, serous or bloody character, formed when:

• due to inflammatory processes;
• after long-term use of medications;
• with collagen diseases.

Chilothorax is a lymphatic fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity when:

• injuries;
• oncological diseases.

Exudative pleurisy - symptoms

As a rule, the disease proceeds acutely and is accompanied by the following expressed signs:

• fever, chills;
• pain when coughing, lack of air;
• pain in the side, strengthening with deep breath, giving to the shoulder;
• when listening to the rubbing of the pleura;
• as the fluid accumulates, the pain decreases, but dyspnea and general weakness increase;
• the accumulation of a large amount of exudate can lead to a displacement of the heart.

Exudative pleurisy developing with oncology can have a fast and slow course. In many cases, this disease is the only sign of metastatic cancer. Pleurisy can indicate cancer of the lung, stomach, breast, ovaries. The emergence of metastases on the pleura, enhances the permeability of its capillaries, so that the exudative fluid freely penetrates into the cavity.

Exudative pleurisy - diagnosis

The diagnosis requires a comprehensive approach, which includes the following stages:

1. Collecting anamnesis, clarifying the patient's previous illnesses.
2. Determination of the nature of the course of the disease, according to the patient's complaints.
3. Radiographic examination, which allows to identify the cause of the disease, to establish the dynamics of fluid accumulation. With this method, it is possible to determine left-sided or right-sided exudative pleurisy in a patient. Additional studies help identify bilateral exudative pleurisy.
4. In addition to X-rays, computer tomography and ultrasound are widely used for diagnosis.

An important stage in the detection of exudative pleurisy is differential diagnosis. In this case, a puncture is performed for sampling of pleural fluid subjected to morphological study. Its purpose is to study the nature of the fluid and to identify the cause of the disease.

Treatment of exudative pleurisy

Regardless of the causes of the disease, patients are prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics and antitussive drugs.

When signs of pulmonary-cardiac failure appear, the patient with exudative pleurisy undergoes treatment with a puncture to evacuate the fluid.

When the exudate begins to resolve, the patient may be given respiratory gymnastics and physiotherapy.