ABSTRACT
I. Introduction Pulmonary effusion (PE) has been reported to accompany several gynecological conditions, mostly as a clinical feature of a systemic abnormality or seldom as an isolated extragynecological sign of a heterogeneous group of disorders (Table 1). The PEs related to pregnancy are rare in overall incidence, although they remain as a particularly devastating problem affecting not only the health of a young and presumably previously healthy and productive member of society, but also very often the life of the fetus or newborn infant. Pregnant women may potentially be at risk for misdiagnosis of pleural disease. The main reason for this is the obscure clinical features masked by the main event of pregnancy. The classical approach to differential diagnosis of PE can be missed if women avoid essential diagnostic techniques (e.g., chest X-ray) out of concern for the health of the fetus. However, the serious consequences of certain pleural diseases for maternal and fetal well-being require effective management of these unusual complications.
