ABSTRACT
Because pleural effusions can be caused by diseases in the chest, organ dysfunction or infections below the diaphragm, drugs1 and systemic disease, it is not surprising that there is an estimated 1.3 million new cases of pleural effusions annually in the USA.2 Approximately two-thirds of these effusions result from congestive heart failure (CHF), pneumonia, malignancy and pulmonary embolism.
