| A Clinical Study on the Etiology and the Characteristics of Pleural Effusion in Children |
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Jin Hwa Jeong, Song Yi Rah, Yong Han Sun, Myung Hyun Lee, Young Yull Koh |
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Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
| 소아 흉막유출의 병인과 성상에 관한 임상적 고찰 |
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정진화, 나송이, 선용한, 이명현, 고영률 |
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서울대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실 |
Correspondence:
Young Yull Koh, Email: 1
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| Abstract |
Purpose
: Many different conditions result in pleural effusions(PEs) and making the differential
diagnosis of PE is difficult. The purpose of the present study was to document the change of
incidence and compare the etiologies of PEs with regards to age, the sidedness and characteristics
of PE.
Methods
: During the 10-year period from 1986 to 1995, thoracentesis was performed in 197
children with PEs at Seoul National University Children' s Hospital. The hospital records of these
children were reviewed, and radiologic findings and laboratory data of PE were analyzed.
Results
: The distribution of the etiologies of PEs changed with the declining incidence of
tuberculous PE. Infectious PE was the leading cause of PE in each age group. The most common
etiology of infectious PE in children aged less than 3 years was bacterial PE, aged 3 to 6 years
mycoplasma PE, and aged more than 6 years tuberculous PE. Malignant PE was the second most
frequent cause of PE and the incidence of it was marked in children aged 3 to 6 years.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma was the most frequent cause of malignant PE and Burkitt lymphoma and
leukemia were the next two leading causes of it. The sidedness of the PE was not helpful in
differentiating various types of PEs. Measurements of the pleural fluid protein & glucose were not
useful either. Bacterial PE presented the highest LDH activity. Infectious PE presented higher
pleural fluid leukocyte count than any other type of PE, and bacterial PE was most prominent in
this respect. The PE polymorphonuclear leukocyte % was marked in bacterial PE and the PE
lymphocyte % in tuberculous PE.
Conclusion
: The distribution of the etiologies of PEs seems to have changed. Age, LDH,
leukocyte count and differential cell count of PE were helpful in differentiating various types of
PEs. |
| Key Words:
Pleural effusion, Children, Thoracentesis, Etiology |
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