Presentation
Asymptomatic.
Patient Data
Age: 40 years
Gender: Male
From the case:
Pleural effusion - small
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Blunting of the left costophrenic angle. A discrete meniscus is visible on the left chest wall.
From the case:
Pleural effusion - small
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The blunting of the left costophrenic angle and the meniscus are shown by the red line.
Normal appearance of the costophrenic angle is seen on the right hemithorax, as shown by the white line.
Case Discussion
Pleural effusion represents the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity. The characteristics of the fluid usually cannot be determined by a simple radiograph and further clinical correlation is necessary to properly identify it.
As pleural effusion is a generic term to denote the abnormal presence of fluid in the pleural cavity, it can be caused by many different conditions.