PURPOSE: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) typically has an indolent course for years without requiring treatment, however Richter's transformation or development of a synchronous malignancy can accelerate the disease course. Pulmonary complications most commonly include infectious pneumonia related to chronic immunosuppression. Pleural effusions have been rarely described in case series, yet their clinical significance is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the characteristics of pleural effusions in CLL and investigate their impact on overall survival. METHODS: A retrospective review of all CLL patients undergoing pleural intervention from 1/1998 to 1/2012 was performed. Demographic data, cancer and clinical characteristics, and diagnostic studies were reviewed.
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