A pleural effusion on the same side as a lung cancer may be due to a number of conditions.
Patient selection: lung cancer on the same side as the pleural fluid collection
Causes of ipsilateral pleural effusion in a patient with lung cancer:
(1) pleural metastatic disease
(2) paramalignant pleural effusion
(3) infection (empyema, tuberculosis)
(4) parapneumonic pleural effusion (which may be related to chronic pleuritis)
(5) radiation-associated
(6) heart failure and fluid overload
(7) mesothelioma
