ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Workup of Pleural Effusion or Pleural Disease

Expert Panel on Thoracic Imaging, Michael F. Morris, Travis S. Henry, Constantine A. Raptis, Alpesh N. Amin, William F. Auffermann, Benjamin W. Hatten, Aine Marie Kelly, Andrew R. Lai, Maria D. Martin, Kim L. Sandler, Arlene Sirajuddin, Devaki Shilpa Surasi, Jonathan H. Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Pleural effusions are categorized as transudative or exudative, with transudative effusions usually reflecting the sequala of a systemic etiology and exudative effusions usually resulting from a process localized to the pleura. Common causes of transudative pleural effusions include congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, and renal failure, whereas exudative effusions are typically due to infection, malignancy, or autoimmune disorders. This document summarizes appropriateness guidelines for imaging in four common clinical scenarios in patients with known or suspected pleural effusion or pleural disease. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S343-S352
JournalJournal of the American College of Radiology
Volume21
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2024

Keywords

  • AUC
  • Appropriateness Criteria
  • appropriate use criteria
  • empyema
  • imaging
  • parapneumonic effusion
  • pleural disease
  • pleural effusion

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Workup of Pleural Effusion or Pleural Disease'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this