These data suggest that pleural fluid triglycerides are in the chyliform range in acute bacterial parapneumonic effusion and empyema, and higher levels may indicate severity of the disease process. The patient with the triglyceride level of 383 mg/dl in the pleural fluid subsequently developed bronchopleural fistula and the remainder recovered uneventfully. Serum triglycerides were in the normal range in all patients. A little bit of fluid in the pleural space, the space between the lungs and the inside of your chest, is normal. Cut-off value of pleural fluid cholesterol for differentiating transudates and exudates should be 45 mg/dl. Latex agglutination tests were performed on the pleural fluid for the detection of bacterial antigens, and ELISA method was used to evaluate the serum for mycoplasma antibodies. Pleural fluid cholesterol is better than Light’s criteria for the differentiation of transudates and exudates and is less cumbersome as it does not require a simultaneous blood sampling. All the patients were on antibiotics before admission. Relative to plasma it has a high bicarbonate concentration and high pH (7.6). As an ultrafiltrate of plasma, pleural fluid has a low protein concentration ( 1 g/dL), hence its low oncotic pressure. Pleural fluid from four patients (aged 3 - 7 years, mean 4 years), who were admitted to Winthrop-University Hospital with the diagnosis of parapneumonic effusion, was obtained by thoracentesis, and was evaluated for microbiological and biochemical parameters (data summarized in table below). Pleural fluid is normally a clear straw-colored fluid rich in hylauronic acid, a lubricating agent elaborated by mesothelial cells. Little is known about triglycerides in pleural fluid in acute parapneumonic effusion and empyema. Normally, a small amount of fluid is present in the pleura.
The pleura are thin membranes that line the lungs and the inside of the chest cavity and act to lubricate and facilitate breathing.
When pleural effusion occurs with NSCLC, it can indicate that cancer has spread and progressed to a late. Pleural effusion, sometimes referred to as water on the lungs, is the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs. Triglyceride levels, above 110 mg/dl, are also seen in pseudochylothorax, which occurs in patients with long standing pleural effusion with thickened pleura. Pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid in the membranes between your lungs and chest wall. Pleural effusions describe fluid between the two layer of tissue (pleura) that cover the lung and the lining of the chest wall. The presence of triglycerides in the pleural fluid, above 110 mg/dl, is suggestive of chylothorax and the demonstration of chylomicrons in the fluid establishes the diagnosis of chylothorax.