Beware the left-sided effusion

Michael W. Felz, Jenay Neely

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

A left-sided effusion is an infrequent clinical occurrence compared with bilateral or right-sided effusions. After coronary bypass surgery, a patient presented with dyspnea and an enlarging left pleural effusion erroneously attributed to congestive heart failure and refractory to medical management. Thoracentesis generated a clinical surprise, allowed specific therapy, and produced evidence for a rarely reported complication of coronary artery bypass grafting. The management of chylothorax and the differential diagnosis of left-sided pleural effusions are reviewed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Number of pages1
JournalJournal of Family Practice
Volume45
Issue number6
StatePublished - Dec 1 1997

Keywords

  • Chylothorax
  • Coronary artery bypass
  • Pleural effusion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Family Practice

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Beware the left-sided effusion'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this