ABSTRACT
I. General Considerations Diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are sometimes associated with pleural effusion causing either transudative or exudative pleural effusions. Transudative pleural effusions occur when the systemic factors influencing the formation and absorption of pleural fluid are altered so that pleural fluid accumulates. In the majority of the cases, the transudative pleural effusion is related causally to cirrhosis and ascites. Exudative pleural effusions related to GI diseases, are usually secondary to acute or chronic diseases and conditions affecting pancreas, liver and biliary tract, esophagus, hernias or they represent a complication of abdominal surgery. A particular category of exudative pleural effusions is the metastatic invasion of the pleura by abdominal neoplasms. Table 1 shows GI diseases associated with transudative, exudative, and malignant pleural effusions.
