Table 1. Characteristics of the 71 patients and the diseases associated with exudative pleural effusion.
| Age, yr | 69.5 ± 15.3 (range, 26–95) | ||
| Sex | |||
| Male | 50 (70.4) | ||
| Female | 21 (29.6) | ||
| Final diagnosis | |||
| Malignant effusion (n = 23)* | |||
| Lung cancer | 17 (73.9) | ||
| Breast cancer | 1 (4.3) | ||
| Renal cell carcinoma | 1 (4.3) | ||
| Esophageal cancer | 1 (4.3) | ||
| Primary mesothelioma | 1 (4.3) | ||
| Thyroid cancer | 1 (4.3) | ||
| Unknown origin of malignancy | 1 (4.3) | ||
| Benign effusion (n = 48)* | |||
| Pneumonia | 22 (45.8) | ||
| Tuberculosis | 16 (33.3) | ||
| Empyema | 4 (8.3) | ||
| Idiopathic | 4 (8.3) | ||
| Bilothorax | 1 (2.1) | ||
| Radiation-induced effusion | 1 (2.1) | ||
Data are mean ± standard deviation (range) or patient number (%).
*The percentage values are calculated in the malignant and benign subgroups, respectively