Tuberculosis: Is it the main cause of pleural effusion in patients of Kabul city, Afghanistan?

Abstract

Introduction: Pleural effusion is one of the most common pleural diseases, and its causes are various cardiovascular, lung, kidney, cancer, and infectious diseases.

Materials and methods: The present study was carried out in the year 2018 at Sadri Ibn Sina Hospital, involving a total of 4564 patients. Out of these, a specific focus was given to 100 patients diagnosed with pleural effusion. Demographic details, such as age, gender, marital status, causes of effusion, occupation, place of residence, effusion location, type of fluid, and any existing comorbidities, were gathered and analyzed using the SPSS software.

Results: Based on the findings of this study, tuberculosis accounts for 49% of the cases, pneumonia for 13%, congestive heart failure for 12%, corpulmonary disease for 11%, cancer for 10%, and chronic kidney failure for 4%. Additionally, 1% of the cases experienced pleural embolism as a result of pulmonary embolism. In regards to the liquid type, 77% of it was transudative, while 23% was exudative.

Disscusion: Pleural effusion refers to the abnormal buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity, typically caused by either an overproduction of fluid or a compromised lymphatic system's ability to absorb it. This research has firmly established infection, with tuberculosis being the most significant factor, as the leading cause of this condition.