Özet:

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculous pleurisy and parapneumonic effusion are common causes of pleural effusion in Turkey. The aim of this study was to assess the biochemical characteristics in the differential diagnosis of infectious effusions. METHODS: The biochemical characteristics of serum and pleural effusion samples of 26 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, 44 patients with parapneumonic pleurisy, and 62 patients with congestive heart failure who had underwent thoracentesis in a university hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 10.0 software. RESULTS: The mean ages of the patients were 37 for tuberculous pleurisy, 40 for parapneumonic effusion, and 64 for congestive heart failure. Weight loss was significantly frequent in patients with tuberculous pleurisy when compared to other groups. Total leukocyte count in the fluid was 556/mm3 for transudates, 11424/mm3 for tuberculosis, and 8260/mm3 for parapneumonic effusion. There was not a significant difference in pleural fluid LDH levels, ratio of pleural fluid LDH to serum LDH, pleural fluid albumin and total protein levels, and ratio of pleural fluid total protein to serum total protein between tuberculous pleurisy and parapneumonic effusion. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We think that biochemical criteria based on the pleural fluid or serum is not helpful in the differential diagnosis between tuberculous pleurisy and parapneumonic effusion.

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