Table 2.
Clinical and radiological characteristics of patients with pleural effusion
| Characteristics | TPE (n = 35) | MPE (n = 95) | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | Percentage | n | Percentage | ||
| Smoking | 15 | 42.86 | 41 | 43.16 | 0.975 |
| Dyspnea | 25 | 71.43 | 80 | 84.21 | 0.101 |
| Chest pain | 14 | 40.00 | 27 | 28.42 | 0.208 |
| Cough | 25 | 71.43 | 67 | 70.53 | 0.920 |
| Phlegm | 14 | 40.00 | 36 | 37.89 | 0.827 |
| Hemoptysis | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 8.42 | 0.076 |
| Fever | 16 | 45.71 | 10 | 10.53 | <0.001 |
| Weight loss | 7 | 20.00 | 25 | 26.32 | 0.458 |
| Pulmonary atelectasis | 0.413 | ||||
| Obstructive atelectasis | 5 | 14.29 | 16 | 16.84 | |
| Compression atelectasis | 17 | 48.57 | 34 | 35.79 | |
| Mass | 1 | 2.86 | 1 | 1.05 | 0.458 |
| Single nodule | 0 | 0.00 | 38 | 40.00 | <0.001 |
| Multiple nodule | 2 | 5.71 | 16 | 16.84 | 0.103 |
| Infiltrated shadow | 6 | 17.14 | 28 | 29.47 | 0.156 |
| Cavity | 23 | 65.71 | 66 | 69.47 | 0.682 |
| Pleural nodules | 0 | 0.00 | 25 | 26.32 | <0.001 |
| Pleural thickening | 0.006 | ||||
| Local | 11 | 31.43 | 59 | 62.11 | |
| Diffusion | 11 | 31.43 | 13 | 13.68 | |
| Lymphadenectasis | 0.027 | ||||
| ≤1 cm | 17 | 48.57 | 38 | 40.00 | |
| >1 cm | 4 | 11.43 | 33 | 34.74 | |
| Laterality | 0.866 | ||||
| Left | 15 | 42.86 | 37 | 38.95 | |
| Right | 14 | 40.00 | 43 | 45.26 | |
| Bilateral | 6 | 17.14 | 15 | 15.79 | |
| Quantity | 0.683 | ||||
| <1/3 | 1 | 2.86 | 1 | 1.05 | |
| 1/3–2/3 | 7 | 20.00 | 16 | 16.84 | |
| >2/3 | 27 | 77.14 | 78 | 82.11 | |
TPE: Tuberculous pleural effusion; MPE: Malignant pleural effusion.