Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Pleural effusion is common in routine medical practice and can be due to many different underlying diseases. Precise differential diagnostic categorization is essential, as the treatment and prognosis of pleural effusion largely depend on its cause. ⋯ The proper treatment of pleural effusion can be determined only after meticulous differential diagnosis. The range of therapeutic options has recently become much wider. More data can be expected in the near future concerning diagnostic test- ing for the etiology of the effusion, better pleurodetic agents, the development of interventional techniques, and the genetic background of the affected patients.