How to judge whether pleural effusion is benign or malignant

Generally speaking, the cause of pleural effusion is anemia. When the blood circulation is affected by diseases of the lungs, heart, etc. or when the venous trunk is compressed, pleural effusion may occur. Consuming diseases such as chronic anemia may also induce pleural effusion. Pleural effusion refers to the accumulation of leaked fluid in the pleural cavity. Patients usually experience difficulty breathing. Pleural effusion can be divided into benign and malignant. How to judge whether pleural effusion is malignant? How to check pleural effusion? What should we pay attention to in daily life?

1. How to judge whether pleural effusion is malignant

The appearance is often non-specific and may be bloody, light yellow or milky. It is often an exudate with high protein (greater than 30 g/L), high lactate dehydrogenase (greater than 200 U), high CEA (greater than 200 g/L), high amylase (greater than 160 U), low pH (less than 7.3), and low glucose (less than 600 g/L). Cancer cells may be found in the pleural effusion.

2. Pleural effusion examination method

1. Enzyme activity assay

Adenosine deaminase (ADA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and its isoenzymes, amylase (AMS), and other enzymatic indicators such as lysozyme (LZM).

2. Biochemical markers

Pulmonary surfactant protein-A (SP-A), ferritin (Ft), sialic acid (SA) and lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA), lipid determination, C-reactive protein (CRP).

3. Immunological testing

Cytokines: interferon (IFN), interleukin-2 (IL-2), other interleukin family members, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Tumor markers: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen CA125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9 and CYFRA (cytokeratin fragment) 21-1, and other markers.

Anti-PPD-IgG: PPD (purified protein derivative) is a purified protein of tuberculin. After the body is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it can produce antibodies, namely anti-PPD-IgG. High titer antibodies can be detected in the serum and pleural effusion of tuberculosis patients, which is helpful for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. If 0.55 is used as the cut-off value, the positive rate of tuberculous pleural effusion is 85%, while that of other pleural effusions is only 19%.

Other indicators: Detection of complement, rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibody (ANA) in pleural fluid can help identify pleural effusion caused by rheumatic diseases, which is manifested by a decrease in complement levels and an increase in RF and ANA titers.

3. Notes

Actively prevent and treat primary diseases. Pleural effusion is part of chest or systemic disease, so actively preventing and treating the primary disease is the key to preventing this disease.

Strengthen physical fitness and improve disease resistance. Actively participate in various appropriate physical exercises, such as Tai Chi, Tai Chi sword, Qigong, etc., to enhance physical fitness and improve disease resistance.

Pay attention to adjusting your lifestyle. Patients with pleural effusion should keep their living place dry to avoid invasion of dampness, avoid eating raw or cold food, avoid overeating, and maintain normal spleen and stomach function. After getting sick, seek timely treatment, avoid wind and cold, be careful in your daily life, and relax your mind to achieve a speedy recovery.