We reviewed a case of a elderly male with dyspnea and productive cough over 6 weeks in setting of unintentional weight loss found to have imaging findings of L lung white out from large pleural effusion. Chest tube results showed pH 7.47, LDH 325, Protein 5.3, Triglyceride 31, Glucose 91, Serum LDH 344, Serum Protein 8.2. RBC 15k, WBC 921, with 62% lymphocytes, 15% neutrophils and 22% monocytes. We reviewed 2 different criteria for determining exudative vs transudative pleural effusion

Our patient had a large exudative effusion requiring indwelling chest tube. Patient was found to have left pleural mass that was biopsied with results indicating poorly differentiated carcinoma, staining + for GATA3 (urothelial carcinoma and sometimes primary lung carcinoma). Patient was discharged an indwelling pleural catheter.