Features Of Exudate Accumulation In The Pleural Cavity In Patients With Malignant Neoplasms

Abstract

The main clinical sign of malignant pleural effusion is shortness of breath. We have studied the degree of shortness of breath Evaluation of shortness of breath on the Medical Research Council Scale (MRC) Dyspnea Scale. The degree of shortness of breath did not depend on the primary localization of the lesion. Most patients had a moderate degree of dyspnea. Patients with a very severe form of shortness of breath, who urgently had to aspirate the effusion from the pleural cavity, were observed in 8 cases. Aspiration of exudate in this group of patients, contrary to expectations, did not lead to rapid relief of shortness of breath. The reason for this was a relatively small amount of aspiration (no more than 1.5 l), long-term accumulation of effusion. Prolonged accumulation of effusion lead to a chronic decrease in the vital capacity of the lungs, due to the development of fibrotic and inflammatory changes in the compressed areas of the lungs.