The utility of multi-detector computed tomography in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion in the patients with ovarian cancer.
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.
Kim
Kyung Won
KW
Department of Radiology and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Choi
Hyuck Jae
HJ
Kang
Sokbom
S
Park
Sang-Yoon
SY
Jung
Dae Chul
DC
Cho
Jeong Yeon
JY
Cho
Kyung-Sik
KS
Kim
Seung Hyup
SH
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
D003287:Contrast Media