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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Pleural effusion in interstitial lung disease
Kristin B Highland1, John E Heffner
1Division of Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine and Allergy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
This review reports recent information on the occurrence of pleural effusions in association with disorders that produce interstitial parenchymal lung disease.
Recent Findings:
The occurrence of effusions has been expanded to include systemic sclerosis, polymyositis-dermatomyositis, several drugs, and several miscellaneous causes of interstitial lung disease (ILD).
Summary:
Pleural effusions occur in patients with various forms of interstitial lung disease. The effusions require a clinical evaluation to exclude complications of therapy and coexisting conditions unrelated to the underlying ILD.
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