Diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion

Tuberculosis is a common cause of pleural effusion in India. Diagnosis can be made in a majority of patients from the clinical features, pleural fluid examination (including cytology, biochemistry and bacteriology), and pleural biopsy. Adenosine deaminase estimation in pleural fluid is occasionally useful. Newer diagnostic techniques include lysozyme or interferon gamma estimation, immunodiagnostic methods and polymerase chain reaction. Although promising, they still need to be studied further before their routine use can be recommended.