What does a loculated pleural effusion mean?

What does a loculated pleural effusion mean?

Fibrotic scar tissue may develop, creating pockets of fluid in the pleural cavity, preventing effective drainage of the fluid. This condition is designated as a Loculated Pleural Effusion (LPE) and leads to pain and shortness of breath, as the lungs are not able to properly expand.

What does loculated fluid mean?

n. the compartmentalization of a fluid-filled cavity into smaller spaces (locules) by fibrous septa. Loculation may occur in patients with long-standing pleural effusions, ascites, and in some cysts.

How is loculated pleural effusion treated?

Loculated pleural fluid collections may be treated by thoracentesis, closed thoracostomy tube drainage, rib resection and open drainage, or thoracotomy and decortication. Recent reports have advocated the use of image-guided placement of 10- to 14-French single lumen drainage catheters as the initial therapy [1-4].

What does Loculation mean?

Medical Definition of loculation 1 : the condition of being or the process of becoming loculated a gradual loculation of bony tissue. 2 : a group of loculi usually isolated from surrounding structures (as by a fibrous tissue septum) the development of loculations in empyema.

Can loculated pleural effusion be drained?

Loculated effusions, large free-flowing effusions (eg, ≥0.5 hemithorax), and effusions with a thickened pleural membrane should also be drained. When the collection is free-flowing, a single tube or catheter thoracostomy is the procedure of choice.

How serious is a pleural effusion?

Fluid around the lung (pleural effusion) is a potentially dangerous condition that can masquerade as something less worrisome. What may seem like chest pain or coughing due to a bad cold could actually have serious health ramifications. It’s not that rare, either.

What is the most common cause of a pleural effusion?

There are two types of pleural effusion: Transudative pleural effusion is caused by fluid leaking into the pleural space. This is from increased pressure in the blood vessels or a low blood protein count. Heart failure is the most common cause.

What causes Loculation?

Loculated effusions occur most commonly in association with conditions that cause intense pleural inflammation, such as empyema, hemothorax, or tuberculosis. Occasionally, a focal intrafissural fluid collection may look like a lung mass. This situation most commonly is seen in patients with heart failure.

What is Loculated pneumonia?

Complex empyema Scar tissue may form and divide the chest cavity into smaller cavities. This is called loculation, and it’s more difficult to treat. If the infection continues to get worse, it can lead to the formation of a thick peel over the pleura, called a pleural peel. This peel prevents the lung from expanding.

What happens if you don’t drain a pleural effusion?

Without treatment, pleural effusion can be very serious and even life-threatening. Depending on its severity and its cause, it can lead to a collapsed lung, lung scarring or sepsis (an out-of-control infection). It may indicate progression of the underlying disease.

Is pleural effusion the same as pneumonia?

Pleural effusion occurs when fluid builds up in the space between the lung and the chest wall. This can happen for many different reasons, including pneumonia or complications from heart, liver, or kidney disease.

What is a loculated pleural effusion?

If there is a lot of bloody or fibrinous fluid it may get stuck in several places- collections called loculations. See below: A loculated pleural effusion are most often caused by an exudative (inflammatory) effusion.

What is an effusion in the pleural space?

Introduction A pleural effusion, ie, an excessive accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, indicates an imbalance between pleural fluid formation and removal. Accumulation of pleural fluid is not a specific disease, but rather a reflection of underlying pathology.

What is fixed pocket pleural effusion?

pleural effusion that is confined to one or more fixed pockets in the pleural space. Pleural effusion that is confined to one or more fixed pockets in the pleural space.

How is pleural fluid cytology used to diagnose pleural effusion?

Standard pleural fluid cytology can provide confirmation of a malignant pleural effusion, but has a diagnostic yield of only 65%. Patients with cancer can develop pleural effusion as an indirect effect of cancer, even when cancer cells are absent from the pleural space.