Includes bibliographical references and index.

The history of pleural disease -- Anatomy of the pleura -- Physiology of the pleura -- Pathophysiology of the pleura -- Respiratory function in pleural effusion -- Imaging the pleura -- The role of ultrasonography in the evaluation of pleural diseases -- Pleural thoracentesis and biopsy -- Chest tubes -- Pleural lavage as a diagnostic and research tool -- Medical thorascoscopy -- Diagnostic video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in pleural disease -- Therapeutic use of thoracoscopy for pleural diseases -- Discrimination between transudative and exudative pleural effusions: evaluating diagnostic tests in the pleural space -- Differentiating between benign and malignant pleural effusions -- Clinical evaluation of the patient with a pleural effusion -- Transudate pleural effusions -- Interventional radiology of pleural disease -- Drug-induced pleural diseases --

Parapneumonic pleural effusions and empyema -- Postsurgical pleural infection -- Surgical management of empyema -- Malignant pleural effusions -- Pleural effusion in lung carcinoma -- Benign tumors of the pleura -- Pleurodesis -- Pleuroperitoneal shunts in malignant effusions -- Mesothelioma: benign and malignant -- Extrapleural pneumonectomy for early-stage diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma -- Benign asbestos-related pleural disease -- Pleural manifestations of interstitial lung disease -- Immunological diseases of the pleura -- Pleural effusions in blood diseases -- Pleural effusions in HIV -- Pneumothorax -- Tuberculous pleuritis -- Pleural effusions in children --

Pleural effusions in cardiac disease -- Pleural effusions in pregnancy and gynecological diseases -- Pleural disease in the intensive care unit -- Pleural effusions in gastrointestinal tract diseases -- Pleural effusions in pulmonary embolism -- Pleural effusions secondary to fungal, nocardial, and actinomycotic infection -- Pleural effusions in parasitic infections -- Iatrogenis and rare pleural effusions -- Management of the undiagnosed persistent pleural effusion -- Hemothorax -- Chylothorax and pseudochylothorax -- The pleural space and organ transplantation -- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in pleural fluid -- Animal models in pleural investigation.

Also available in print edition. CRC Press (http://www.crcpress.com)

Mode of access: World Wide Web.