Table 2.

Etiologic diagnosis underlying pleural effusion obtained in the groups. NSCLC: non-small-cell lung cancer; TB: tuberculosis; SCLC: small-cell lung cancer. Data are presented as absolute values (percentages).

Diagnosis	Group A n (%)	Group B n (%)	p
Malignant etiologies	54 (59.3%)	64 (55.1%)	0.547
NSCLC	20 (22.0%)	17 (14.7%)	0.179
Metastases	14 (15.4%)	15 (12.9%)	0.671
Mesothelioma	17 (18.7%)	29 (25,0%)	0.270
SCLC	0	1 (0.9%)	0.315
Lymphoma	3 (3.3%)	1 (0.9%)	0.237
Hemangioendothelioma	0	1 (0.9%)	0.315
Non-malignant etiologies	30 (32.9%)	51 (43.9%)	0.103
Non-specific pleuritis	16 (17.6%)	39 (33.6%)	0.007
Empyema and parapneumonic effusion	10 (10.9%%)	4 (3.4%)	0.041
TB	2 (2.2%)	4 (3.4%)	0.585
Heart failure	2 (2.2%)	0	0.153
Asbestosis	0	1 (0.9%)	0.315
Sarcoidosis	0	2 (1.72%)	0.154
Indetermined etiologies	2 (2.1%)	0 (0%)	0.153