title: Multiple pleural nodules without effusion--a rare presentation of tuberculous pleurisy.
abstract: We report a rare case of tuberculous pleurisy presenting with multiple pleural nodules without associated effusion or parenchymal lung lesions. A 62-year-old man had multiple discrete pleural nodules in the right hemithorax on chest radiography without any clinical symptoms. Thoracoscopic biopsy of the pleural nodules revealed a caseous granuloma with acid-fast bacilli. The patient received antituberculous therapy, with resolution of tuberculomas on chest film within 2 months. To our knowledge, only two similar cases have been previously reported in the English literature, and our observation should lead to broadening of the spectrum of the differential diagnosis of multiple pleural nodules.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386, Ta-Chiung 1st Road, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan.
authors.forename: X N
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000150:complications*