What´s A Pleural Effusion?

An effusion, defined by Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, is “an escape of fluid from anatomical vessels by rupture or exudation” or “fluid that escapes by extravasation.” An example of this is a pleural effusion, an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space that lines the chest cavity and the lungs. In a pleural effusion, irritation to the pleura can cause transudative or exudative fluid to accumulate within the pleural space. Though in a pleural effusion an injury or rupture does not necessarily occur, effusion occurs through exudation (Kahn, 2012).

To infiltrate, according to Medical-Dictionary by Farlex, means “to cause a liquid to permeate a substance by passing through it's interstices or pores,” or to permeate a porous substance