Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Local Anesthetic Thoracoscopy for Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion
Published on: November 10, 2023
A 32-Year-Old Man With HIV Infection, Pleural Effusions, and Lymphadenopathy
Jonathan Z Xian1, Sujith V Cherian2, Natalia Golardi3
1Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX.
Case Presentation:
A 32-year-old man presented with fever, nonproductive cough, diffuse lymphadenopathy, and polyarticular pain for 2 weeks. His medical history included HIV diagnosed 10 years ago, anal intraepithelial neoplasia, Kaposi sarcoma, and herpes simplex virus-2 infection. The patient was not receiving antiretroviral therapy or antibiotic prophylaxis, and his last known CD4 count a month before was 45 cells/mm3. He was prescribed a course of doxycycline by his primary care physician, which did not improve his symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
Pleural Effusion I: Introduction
There are two main types of pleural effusion: transudative and exudative. They are differentiated using Light's...
Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management
A pleural effusion is the abnormal collection of fluid between the parietal and visceral pleura layers of tissue that form the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It can occur independently or due to surrounding parenchymal diseases, such as infection, malignancy, or inflammatory conditions.
Clinical Manifestations:
Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion
Pleural Disorders: Types and Brief Description
Infection
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
Stages of Infection

