title: The utility of multi-detector computed tomography in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion in the patients with ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess possible clinical predictors of malignant pleural effusion in patients with ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review was performed on 38 ovarian cancer patients that showed pleural effusion in a CT scan and who underwent thoracocentesis before treatment. CT scans were obtained using a 4-channel multi-detector CT scanner. Fisher's exact test was used to determine the probability of malignant pleural effusion as a function of; amount of ascites, lymph node enlargement, amount of pleural effusion, pleural nodules, and pleural thickening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen (42.1%) of the 38 patients had malignant pleural effusion and malignant pleural effusion amounts were greater than those with nonmalignant effusion. Pleural nodules were more frequently found in the malignant pleural effusion group (eight [50%] patients) than in the nonmalignant group (zero [0%] patient) (p<0.001). Supradiaphragmatic lymph node enlargement (with short axis diameter 1cm or more) was more frequent in malignant group (12 [75%] patients) than in the nonmalignant group (two [9.1%] patients) (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The probability of malignant pleural effusion in patients with ovarian cancer was found to be correlated with the amount of pleural effusion, the presence of pleural nodules, and supradiaphragmatic lymph node enlargement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyuck Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sokbom
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sang-Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae Chul
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jeong Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Kyung-Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Seung Hyup
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media