Presentation
Increasing dyspnea, dry cough, poor appetite, fatigue and lethargy.
Patient Data
Age: 65 years
Gender: Male
From the case:
Massive pleural effusion
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A right-sided pleural effusion with total white-out of the right hemithorax and minor mediastinal shift to the left.
Minor left-sided pleural effusion.
Case Discussion
Unilateral white-out can be due to collapse, consolidation, effusion or a combination and the position of the mediastinum is key to diagnosis 1,2. Massive pleural effusion causes contralateral shift however the degree of shift depends on the degree of accompanying pulmonary collapse 1,2.
In this case, the appearance suggests a massive right pleural effusion with collapse of the right lung.
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