Hepatic hydrothorax: An update and review of the literature

Table 1 Criteria for the differentiation between exudates and transudates in pleural fluid examination

Criteria	Exudate	Transudate
Effusion protein/serum protein ratio	> 0.5	< 0.5
Absolute LDH level in pleural fluid	> 200 IU/L	< 200 IU/L
Effusion LDH/serum LDH ratio	> 0.6	< 0.6

LDH: Lactate dehydrogenase.

Table 2 Diagnostic criteria for uncomplicated hepatic hydrothorax according to pleural fluid analysis

Criteria	Values
The number of white blood cells in pleural fluid	< 250/mm3
Pleural effusion total protein level	< 25 g/L
Pleural effusion total protein/serum total protein ratio	< 0.5
Pleural effusion LDH/serum LDH ratio	> 0.6
Pleural effusion albumin/serum albumin ratio	> 1.1
Pleural effusion bilirubin /serum bilirubin ratio	< 0.6
pH	> 7.4
Pleural effusion glucose level is equal to serum glucose level

LDH: Lactate dehydrogenase.