J Korean Radiol Soc.  1988 Feb;24(1):76-79. 10.3348/jkrs.1988.24.1.76.

Distribution side of pleural effusion in heart failure

• Park CK
• Park YH
• Jung SY
• Park SH
• Bahk YW

• KMID: 2359313
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1988.24.1.76

Abstract

The interrelationship between the etiology of pleural effusion and the side of its occurence has been asubject of clinical interest for many years. It has often been stated that pleural effusion caused by congestiveheart failure tends to occur on the right side. However, some authors contended that such a side proclivity is notreliable. In the present study the authors investigated the laterality of effusion caused by variouscardiovascular diseases complicated by heart failure. We reviewed the chest x-ray films and clinical records of 68patients with proven pleural effusion resulted from heart failure. 1. There were 34 men and 34 women with the ageranging from 10 to 84 years with the mean of 59. 2. The diagnoses were rheumatic heart disease(2 patients),coronary heart disease(10 patients), hypertensive heart disease(8 patients), mitral valvular disease(18 patients),aortic valvular disease(3 patients), and miscellaneous(27 patients). 3. 34 patients had unilateral pleuraleffusion, 25 and 9, right and left, respectively. Of the 34 patients with bilateral effusion, 13 patients hadpredominently rifht-sided effusion, 5 patients had predominently left-sided effusion and 16 patients had evenlydistributed bilateral effusion. Thus, 55.8% of effusion was right-sided.

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Female
Heart Failure*
Heart*
Humans
Male
Pleural Effusion*
Thorax
X-Ray Film