Closed pleural needle biopsy: predicting diagnostic yield by examining pleural fluid parameters

Objective: Pleural fluid parameters that predict a diagnostic closed pleural needle biopsy were investigated.Design: A retrospective analysis.Setting: The Institute of Pulmonology, Hadassah University Hospital.Patients and methods: Forty-four patients who underwent closed pleural needle biopsies were included in this study. Pleural fluid values of protein, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), pH, and white blood cell count with differential cell counts, from patients with diagnostic and non-diagnostic pleural biopsies were compared.Results: Thirteen patients (29%) had diagnostic biopsies. Malignancy was identified in 10 patients (23%), of whom 70% had adenocarcinoma. Three other patients had non-malignant specific diagnosis. LDH levels in pleural fluid from patients with diagnostic pleural biopsy were higher than in patients with non-diagnostic pleural biopsies (1436±333 U l−1 vs. 775±109 U l−1; P