Category | Details |
History | |
Presenting symptoms | Speed of onset |
| Other respiratory symptoms |
| Associated multisystem symptoms |
| Symptoms of bacterial or viral infection |
| Symptoms of connective tissue disease |
Past medical history | Previous thoracic surgery |
| Heart failure |
| Liver cirrhosis |
| Renal failure |
| Connective tissue disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) |
| Lymphangioleiomyomatosis |
| IgG4-related disease |
| History of pleural infection |
Drug history | Medications associated with pleural disease |
| Immunomodulatory treatment |
| Ovarian hyperstimulation |
Social history | Cigarette smoking |
| Travel history |
Occupational history | Asbestos exposure |
| Other industrial exposure (e.g. beryllium) [7] |
| Inhaled allergens |
Investigations | |
Standard pleural assays | Protein |
| Lactate dehydrogenase |
| Glucose |
| Differential cell count |
Advanced pleural assays | Amylase |
| Triglycerides |
| Cholesterol |
| Microscopy for chylomicrons |
| Adenosine deaminase |
| Creatinine |
| N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide# |
Other investigations | Full blood count |
| Urea and electrolytes |
| Liver function |
| Inflammatory markers |
| Autoimmune screen |
| N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide |
| Urine analysis |