malignant pleural effusion
Meaning of malignant pleural effusion: Malignant pleural effusion is fluid buildup around the lung caused by cancer cells within the pleural space, most often from lung or breast cancer.
Definition of malignant pleural effusion
Malignant pleural effusion is a condition in which cancer causes an abnormal buildup of fluid between the two thin layers of tissue, called the pleura, that surround each lung and line the inside of the chest cavity. Cancer cells within the pleural space can irritate the tissue and interfere with normal fluid drainage, allowing fluid to accumulate faster than the body can reabsorb it.
Lung cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia account for most cases, though a malignant pleural effusion can arise from a cancer originating almost anywhere in the body that has spread to involve the pleura. As fluid accumulates, it can compress the adjacent lung, making it harder for that lung to expand fully with each breath.
Because a malignant pleural effusion generally indicates that cancer has spread to the pleural lining, identifying cancer cells within a sample of the drained fluid helps confirm the diagnosis and distinguishes it from a pleural effusion caused by infection, heart failure, or other noncancerous conditions.
Used in a sentence
Thoracentesis was performed to relieve symptoms from a malignant pleural effusion and to obtain fluid for analysis.
Good to know
A malignant pleural effusion is distinguished from other causes of pleural fluid buildup, such as heart failure or infection, by finding cancer cells within the fluid itself on laboratory analysis.
Word origin
Where “malignant pleural effusion” comes from
Pleural derives from Greek pleura, meaning rib or side, describing the membrane along the chest wall.