Pattern of childhood pleural disease in Benin City, Nigeria

Pleural disease is a frequent finding in childhood, occurring with a frequency of 12.8% in all childhood radiographs or 1.48% of all pediatric hospital admissions in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Pleural disease was found more frequently in males with a male:female ratio of 1.9:1. Pleural disease also occurred twice as commonly in the right hemithorax. Pleural calcification is uncommon in childhood. There was a seasonal variation in the occurrence of pleural disease with the highest numbers being seen in the month of July, which is the wettest month of the year in Benin. Pyogenic pneumonia and measles-related pneumonia remain the more frequent causes of pleural disease in childhood.