Clinicopathologic significance of eosinophilic pleural effusions in apopulation with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and cancer
OBJECTIVE: To reveal the diagnostic and prognostic significance ofeosinophilic pleural effusions (EPEs) and assess their clinical implications. STUDY DESIGN: SeventyEPEs from 60 patients among 697 consecutive pleural effusions were investigated from 1996-2005 atKocaeli University Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey. Koss and Light’s criteria were applied in theanalysis, which comprised macroscopic, cytopathologic, biochemical and microbiologic examinations.RESULTS: Overall, cancerous underlying conditions were diagnosed in 22 patients (13 malignant and 9paramalignant), 36.7% of EPEs. Benign causes were found in 43.3% (26 of 60) of the patients. Twelvepleural effusions (20.0%) were idiopathic. The comparison of pleural fluid and peripheral bloodfindings disclosed no significant difference among the various subgroups. CONCLUSION: EPE could beassociated with inflammatory, benign, cancerous and paramalignant conditions. A closer search for adefinite causes is warranted in the setting of EPEs, especially inpopulations with a high prevalenceof tuberculosis and malignancy, such as in Kocaeli, Turkey, an industrial city in a developingcountry.
Ozkara,SK　Turan,G　Basyigit,I
Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Kocaeli,Turkey. emrecan1999@yahoo.com
Adolescent　 Aged　 Aged, 80 and over　 Blood Cell Count　 Child Child,Preschool
