Transudative pleural effusion include conditions that alter the hydrostatic or oncotic pressures in the pleural space, such as congestive left heart failure (CHF), nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, hypoalbuminemia, or peritoneal dialysis.
Exudative pleural effusion etiologies include pulmonary infections such as pneumonia or tuberculosis, malignancy, inflammatory disorders like pancreatitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, postcardiac injury syndrome, chylothorax, hemothorax, postcoronary artery bypass grafting (post-CABG), and benign asbestos pleural effusion.
Some of the less common causes of pleural effusion are pulmonary embolism (exudative or transudative), drug-induced reactions (exudative), radiotherapy (exudative), esophageal rupture (exudative), and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (exudative). Drugs frequently implicated in the development of pleural effusion include methotrexate, amiodarone, phenytoin, and dasatinib.