Pleural Effusion Mesothelioma
Pleural effusion is one of the most common symptoms of mesothelioma. It is fluid accumulation between the visceral pleura (the membrane that covers the lungs) and parietal pleura (the membrane that covers the diaphragm and chest wall). Both the visceral pleura and parietal pleura are covered with mesothelial cells which give rise to a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant between the lung and chest wall. Lymph vessels absorb any excess fluid to maintain a balance. Pleural effusion occurs when there is of too much fluid and it is not absorbed by the lymph vessels.
Types of Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusion is of two types: exudates and transudates. An exudate is a fluid that goes through the circulatory system and forms a lesion and is comprised of a wide variety of proteins and cells. It is quite cloudy and is directly related to mesothelioma. A transudate is a clear fluid that forms due to an imbalance between the normal production and fluid removal. Congestive heart failure is one of the most common causes of transudative fluid. To evaluate the nature of fluid, you need to go through a diagnostic thoracentesis, a needle is used to get a sample of fluid.
Symptoms
As the fluid volume increases, there is going to be shortness of breath (dyspnea) and sometimes mild pain. There are a number of individuals who also experience a dry cough. When the health care provider listens to the patient’s chest through the stethoscope, there are no breath sounds and when tapping on the chest, there are dull sounds rather than hollow.
Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion
Diagnosis of pleural effusion is normally done through a chest x-ray. To get more detailed view, you can also go for ultrasounds and CT scans. A special x-ray, known as a lateral decubitus film, can come in handy for detecting smaller effusions. Lateral decubitus film can also help the physician evaluate the amount of fluid in your body. If the main reason for effusion is known, a fluid sampling may not be required.
As pleural effusion may be symptomatic of a wide variety of disease processes, malignant to benign, your fluid sample should be taken. Diagnostic thoracentesis is normally conducted by health care providers. In Diagnostic thoracentesis, cells are extracted from the pleural cavity and if the test result is positive, it is a sign that you are suffering from Mesothelioma . If the result is inconclusive, you may have to go for a needle biopsy of the pleura (deals with the lung lining).
Treatment Pleural Effusion Mesothelioma
Pleural effusion due to infection or heart failure can normally be resolved by focusing directly on the cause. If fluid continues to form, your healthcare provider may opt for Chemical pleurodesis and chest tube drainage. Chemical pleurodesis is a routine using a sclerosing agent to scrape the pleural surfaces creating an adhesion between the visceral pleurae and parietal pleurae. With a success rate of more than 90%, talc is the most effective agent for pleurodesis.
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