Pleural effusion

Pleural effusion
Pleural effusion
	Diagram of fluid buildup in the pleura

A pleural effusion is when there is a large amount of fluid in the pleural space, the potential space that surrounds each lung.^[1] it is a restrictive lung disease.

There are many types of pleural effusion and they include:

Pleural Effusion Media

Pleural Effusion. See a full animation of this medical topic.
Anteroposterior chest X-ray of a pleural effusion. The A arrow shows fluid layering in the right pleural cavity. The B arrow shows the normal width of the lung in the cavity.
A large left-sided pleural effusion as seen on an upright chest X-ray
Instruments for needle biopsy of the pleura
Massive left-sided pleural effusion (whiteness) in a patient presenting with lung cancer
CT scan of the chest showing a left-sided pleural effusion. The fluid usually settles at the lowest space due to gravity; in this case, at the back because the patient is supine.
The lung expanding within an area of pleural effusion as seen by ultrasound
Micrograph of a pleural fluid cytopathology specimen showing malignant mesothelioma, one cause of a pleural effusion
A pleural effusion as seen on lateral upright chest x-ray
Pleural effusion as seen behind the heart