title: Diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.
abstract: Tuberculosis is a common cause of pleural effusion in India. Diagnosis can be made in a majority of patients from the clinical features, pleural fluid examination (including cytology, biochemistry and bacteriology), and pleural biopsy. Adenosine deaminase estimation in pleural fluid is occasionally useful. Newer diagnostic techniques include lysozyme or interferon gamma estimation, immunodiagnostic methods and polymerase chain reaction. Although promising, they still need to be studied further before their routine use can be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jindal
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007159:Immunologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011859:Radiography; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase