Symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain, usually a sharp pain that is worse with cough or deep breaths
• Cough
• Hiccups
• Rapid breathing

There may be no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

During a physical examination, the doctor will listen to the sound of your breathing with a stethoscope and may tap on your chest to listen for dullness.

The following tests may help to confirm a diagnosis:

• Chest x-ray
• Thoracic CT
• Ultrasound of the chest
• Thoracentesis
• Pleural fluid analysis

The cause and type of pleural effusion is usually determined by thoracentesis (a sample of fluid is removed with a needle inserted between the ribs).