Pleural effusion in interstitial lung disease.
OBJECTIVE
This review reports recent information on the occurrence of pleural effusions in association with disorders that produce interstitial parenchymal lung disease.


RESULTS
The occurrence of effusions has been expanded to include systemic sclerosis, polymyositis-dermatomyositis, several drugs, and several miscellaneous causes of interstitial lung disease (ILD).


CONCLUSIONS
Pleural effusions occur in patients with various forms of interstitial lung disease. The effusions require a clinical evaluation to exclude complications of therapy and coexisting conditions unrelated to the underlying ILD.
Highland
Kristin B
KB
Division of Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine and Allergy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Heffner
John E
JE
D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000150:complications*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology*