PMC9289731_01
(A) Frontal chest radiograph (CXR) taken 1 month prior to hospital admission showing elevated left hemidiaphragm with no evidence of pleural effusion. Elevated left hemidiaphragm had been present on prior imaging studies. (B) Initial CXR from first hospital admission showing bilateral pleural effusions confirmed by subsequent computed tomography. (C) CXR obtained after right thoracentesis showing improvement of right pleural effusion with similar left pleural effusion. (D) CXR from second hospital admission showing recurrence of right pleural effusion and worsening left pleural effusion.
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While no pleural effusions had been present on a chest radiograph (CXR) from one month prior (Fig. 1A), current admission CXR demonstrated new bilateral pleural effusions (Fig. 1B) confirmed by subsequent computed tomography (CT) of the chest (not shown). The patient's CXR improved after thoracentesis (Fig. 1C), as did her symptoms. On repeat CXR, reaccumulation of moderate right pleural effusion was noted with interval progression of a large left pleural effusion (Fig. 1D).