1 Pleurisy is caused by a variety of conditions, such as infections, tuberculosis (TB), congestive heart failure, cancer, pulmonary embolism, and collagen vascular diseases. 2  Symptoms of pleurisy include pain in the chest, which is aggravated by breathing in, shortness of breath, and local tenderness. Pleurisy is often associated with the accumulation of fluid between the two layers of pleura, known as pleural effusion. 2  Pleurisy is caused by a variety of conditions, such as infections, tuberculosis (TB), congestive heart failure, cancer, pulmonary embolism, and collagen vascular diseases.