[Pleural thickening and tuberculous effusion: searching for predictive data]. / Sequelas pleurais dos derrames tuberculosos: em busca de parâmetros preditivos.

Tuberculosis is a very common disease usualy related to bad social-economic conditions and sometimes with associated pleural effusion. Pleural sequelae are referred by some authors as a consequence that may interfere with lung function provoking respiratory failure in some critical situations. Some experts try to find clinical and biochemical parameters in order to detect possibilities that could predict future pleural thickening and necessity of closer vigilance to avoid lung function disability. This study is based on the post-treatment roentgenological pleural findings and their correlation with the initial pleural fluid biochemical data, the volume of the effusions and time of patients complains.