Abstract:
Background: Pleural effusion (PE) is the disorders commonest manifestation of pleural disease
and may herald pathologies from other parts and Sancho quoted incidence of
of the body. Etiology varies with age and geographical location. Chest radiography is
an essential component of early assessment though there are suggestions to apply
ultrasonography also early in patient evaluation. This study aims to determine
radiological and clinical pattern of pleural effusions based on clinical and radiological may provide clues to the etiology4,
diagnosis of pleural effusion and to correlate occurs in a wide variety of clinical conditions
this with etiology. and because it may evade clinical detection,
Method: A retrospective analysis of 276 plain other diagnostic measures are often
Chest X-rays (CXR) of patients diagnosed necessary4,5. These includes imaging
clinically to have PE over a period of 6½ years modalities, pleural fluid analysis, pleural
in the University of Teaching Hospital was biopsy and thoracoscpy2,3,4,5. Of the imaging
conducted. techniques, plain CXR has become a
Result: A bimodal age distribution involving universally accepted modality being cheap,
the first and second decades was easily accessible and non-sophisticated.
demonstrated. Etiological factors were Other modalities include thoracic
identified in 95.6% of cases. Chronic ultrasound (ThUSS), chest CT scan, and
inflammation and pyogenic effusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)2,3,5.
accounted for 47.6%. Amongst children, adolescents and young adults, the The aim of this study is to determine the
percentage rose to 62.0%. Heart failure was clinical characters of patients with pleural
responsible for PE in 18.1% of all the cases effusion evaluated by plain chest radiograph
and 63.3% of patients =50years. More than at the radiology department of University of
half of PE occurred in the right hemithorax Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria and to
(53.1%). Pyogenic and malignant effusion correlate this to the etiology. It is expected
showed predilection for the right side (75.6% that this will reflect the pattern which exists
and 58.3% respectively). Heart failure in a developing society.
accounted for 57.1% of all patients with bilateral effusions.
Conclusion: We found that chronic
This retrospective study was conducted at
inflammation and pyogenic effusion the radiology department of University of
accounted for a greater proportion of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). The
etiological factors. Conventional CXR is still requests and reports of plain chest
valuable as a first line investigative modality
