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Exudative Pleural Effusion: Sensitivity and Specificity

Introduction: None written.

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Tags: Pulmonary Tag this Diagnosis.

Differential Diagnoses include: Transudative Pleural Effusion

The sensitivity and specificity of findings for Exudative Pleural Effusion are listed below. See the left navigation bar to change the display.

Sensitive Findings

Finding SensitivitySpecificity Comments, Study
Light's Criteria Edit 98.3%76.1%

Light's Criteria: any one of the following

1) pleural protein / serum protein > 0.5

2) pleural LDH / serum LDH > 0.6

3) pleural LDH > 2/3 * upper limit of normal serum LDH

Differential Diagnosis: Transudative Pleural Effusion

Study: Chest. 1999 Dec;116(6):1833-6. PMID: 10593819

Abbreviated Light's Criteria Edit 96.1%78.8%

any one of the following:

1) pleural protein / serum protein > 0.5

2) pleural LDH / serum LDH > 0.6

(i.e. dropping the pleural LDH vs upper limit of normal serum LDH)

Differential Diagnosis: Transudative Pleural Effusion

Study: Chest. 1999 Dec;116(6):1833-6. PMID: 10593819

Poorly Diagnostic Findings

Finding SensitivitySpecificity Comments, Study
Chest CT Edit 59%64%

in parapneumonic effusions (i.e. associated with Pneumonia). The numbers here are for pleural thickening, but similarly poor performance is seen for loculation, pleural enhancement, etc.

Differential Diagnosis: Transudative Pleural Effusion

Study: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2009 Mar;192(3):618-23. PMID: 19234255

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1997 Jul;169(1):179-82. PMID: 9207521