Tools

Add a finding for this diagnosis

Add prevalence for this diagnosis

Switch to display mode

Switch to likelihood ratios

Sort findings by Tag

Sort findings by Differential Diagnosis

Jump To

Sensitive Findings

Poorly Diagnostic Findings

Exudative Pleural Effusion: Sensitivity and Specificity

Introduction: None written.

[Edit Diagnosis] [Merge dx] [Add prevalence]

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.

Pre-Test Probability (Prevalence): %.	Post-Test Probability (Predictive Value): %.	Switch to display mode.
Note that calculating probabilities from more than one** finding is inherently inaccurate because findings are not independent. (For example, using two positive findings that share a common pathogenesis is likely to overestimate the true probability.)

Sensitive Findings
Finding	Result	Sensitivity	Specificity
[ + ] Light's Criteria	+ 0 -	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	+ 0 -	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	Result	Sensitivity	Specificity
[ + ] Chest CT	+ 0 -	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