Pleural fluid analysis for cholesterol effusions

Appearance	Commonly milky, opaque, or turbid; less commonly serous, oily yellow, bloody
Protein	>3 g/dL (>30 g/L), consistent with an exudate
Glucose	Normal (60 to 100 mg/dL [3.3 and 5.6 mmol/L]) Low (<60 mg/dL [<3.3 mmol/L]) in rheumatoid arthritis, malignancy, tuberculous pleurisy, paragonimiasis
LDH	>500 IU/L, consistent with an exudate >1000 IU/L in rheumatoid arthritis, malignancy, tuberculous pleurisy, paragonimiasis
pH	<7.4; may be very low (eg, <7.2) in rheumatoid arthritis, malignancy, tuberculous pleurisy, paragonomiasis
White cell count	Low (<5000 cells/microL); lymphocyte predominance; eosinophilia if parasites are responsible for the effusion
Cholesterol	>200 mg/dL (5.18 mmol/L)
Triglycerides	<110 mg/dL (1.24 mmol/L)
Cholesterol:triglyceride ratio	>1
Chylomicrons	Absent
Cholesterol crystals	Present (under polarizing light)

LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; IU: international units.

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