Magnetic resonance imaging findings of eosinophilic pleural effusion: A case report

We report a case of idiopathic eosinophilic pleural effusion, the diagnosis of which was troublesome due to a considerable difference in properties between right and left pleural effusions. A 58-year-old woman was admitted with a 4-week history of right-sided chest pain. Bilateral pleural effusions were detected on computed tomography. EPE was not identified by initial aspiration from left-sided pleural effusion with scant eosinophils, but was diagnosed by secondary aspiration from right-sided pleural effusion rich in eosinophils. We searched for a means to distinguish between bilateral pleural effusions. As a result, diffusion-weighted imaging was found to distinguish right- from left-sided effusion. The patient was subsequently treated successfully with corticosteroid treatment.