Pulmonology · Pleural and mediastinal pathology module
By completing this question set, you will be able to classify pleural effusions as transudative or exudative using Light's criteria and identify the diuretic caveat that can cause misclassification. You will identify specific effusion types from pleural fluid characteristics: parapneumonic (pH, glucose, Gram stain → drainage decision), malignant (bloody, cytology), TB (lymphocytic, ↑ADA), and chylothorax (milky, ↑triglycerides). You will classify pneumothorax by cause (primary spontaneous, secondary, traumatic, tension) and apply appropriate management (observation vs chest tube vs emergency needle decompression). You will recognize tension pneumothorax as a clinical diagnosis requiring immediate intervention. You will identify mediastinal masses by compartment using the anterior "4 T's" mnemonic and associate thymoma with myasthenia gravis. You will recognize flail chest mechanics and kyphoscoliosis as an extrapulmonary restrictive cause.