Sugar level in the pleural exudate as a differential diagnostic test
Soroka, A.N.; Kunovskiĭ, B.V.
Laboratornoe Delo 1980(7): 426-428
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-6748 PMID: 6157874 Document Number: 166364
The sugar level was evaluated in the pleural exudate of 58 patients with pleurisy of different etiology. These patients were divided into 3 groups: 25 with pleurisy of tuberculous etiology, 19 with associated oncological diseases and 9 with nonspecific diseases of the lungs. The sugar level was evaluated by the Hagedorn-Jensen method. Significant differences (P3 < 0.001) were revealed in comparing the exudate sugar level in pleurisy of tuberculous etiology with that in the associated oncological diseases. Similar high degree of significance was found in comparing this index in patients with pleurisy accompanying nonspecific diseases of the lungs with that in oncological patients (P3 < 0.001). The difference in the sugar level of patients with pleurisy of specific and nonspecific etiology also was significant (P3 < 0.01). Apparently, the lower the sugar level in the pleural exudate, the more probable is tuberculous etiology. When this level is high, oncological disease should be suspected. Sugar evaluation in the pleural exudate is an easy, available test.