Pleural effusion, also called water on the lung, happens when fluid builds up in the space between your lungs and chest cavity. You may have symptoms, such as chest pain, depending on the cause. Thin ...

This Journal feature begins with a case vignette highlighting a common clinical problem. Evidence supporting various strategies is then presented, followed by a review of formal guidelines, when they ...

Pleural effusion affects more than 1.5 million people in the United States each year and often complicates the management of heart failure, pneumonia, and malignancy. Pleural effusion occurs when ...

Your lungs are protected by two membranes, called the pleurae. The visceral pleura covers the lungs, and the parietal pleura lines the inside of your rib cage. A small amount of space between the two ...

A 68-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from long-term tobacco use presented to the emergency department with worsening shortness of breath over the previous week. Simple tasks ...

Pleural thickening is scarring of the pleura, the thin membrane that lines the lungs and chest wall. This can happen after asbestos exposure, injury or infection. It isn't cancer, but may be an early ...

More than 30% of patients with pleural infection either die or require surgery. Drainage of infected fluid is key to successful treatment, but intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy did not improve ...

The diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) can be devastating. At Stanford, our patients are evaluated by a multidisciplinary team of specialists that includes surgeons, medical oncologists ...

Breast cancer can go away for a while and then show up again. It can also spread to different areas of your body when it comes back. Sometimes, breast cancer returns and spreads to the pleura, the ...

Pleural effusion, also called “water on the lungs,” is extra fluid buildup between thin membranes that line your lungs and chest wall. These membranes (pleura) normally contain a few teaspoons of ...

Pleural effusion, sometimes called water on the lung, is a buildup of fluid between the lungs and the chest cavity. It can result from pneumonia, heart failure, cancer, and other conditions. Pleural ...