Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) and Lymphoma (LYM) represent two important causes of lymphocytic effusions. Due to the similarity of clinical and laboratorial features between these clinical conditions, the differential diagnosis frequently represents a challenge to the physicians.
Objective: To describe clinical and laboratory variables capable to differentiate these diseases.
Methods: We analyzed pleural fluid of 159 patients with TB or LYM. Clinical (gender, age and symptoms), Biochemical (glucose, protein, LDH, cholesterol, triglycerides, amylase and ADA) and Cytological analyses were evaluated.
Results: In both groups there was a male predominance. Age and symptoms duration were significantly higher in LYM patients, while complaining of night sweats was more common in TB.
Conclusion: The overlap observed in the results reinforces the difficulty in differentiating these two clinical entities. Although, high proteins and ADA levels suggest TB, the judicious cytological examination is crucial to establish the diagnosis.
- © 2011 ERS