Abstract
The examination of fluid collections from the pericardial, pleural, and abdominal cavities and the joints remains a frequent adjunct to other diagnostic techniques.1Normally these serous cavities contain only small amounts of fluid for lubrication. A wide variety of pathologic conditions may cause abnormal collections of fluid which are classified according to composition as transudate or exudate. Atransudateis formed by an alteration in the normal mechanisms that regulate the exchange of fluid between the vascular and extravascular compartments. This interchange of fluid between the blood and the tissue spaces is controlled by the balance between the capillary blood pressure forcing fluid into the tissue spaces and the osmotic pressure of the plasma proteins which returns fluid into the vascular compartment. The protein molecules diffuse to a limited extent. The small molecules, such as water, electrolytes, and crystalloids, diffuse back and forth rapidly. The concentration of the small
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