Probability of malignancy in pleural fluid eosinophilia.
Pleural fluid eosinophilia is rare and is commonly considered as an indicator of good prognosis. In a series of 224 patients, pleural eosinophilia was present in four of 84 malignant cases; however, the incidence of malignancy in the presence of pleural eosinophilia was 0.40, being explained by a relatively high prevalence of malignancies in the population studied. Although pleural eosinophilia is rare in malignant effusions, it cannot be considered as indicating a good prognosis without taking into consideration the local prevalence of malignancies.
Kuhn
M
M
Division de Pneumologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Fitting
J W
JW
Leuenberger
P
P
D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors