渗出性胸腔积液是潜在特定疾病过程的表现，胸膜活检通常足以找出潜在的致病疾病。本研究的目的是探讨胸膜穿刺活检在胸腔积液病因诊断中的效果。这项横断面研究于 2008 年 1 月至 2008 年 12 月在孟加拉国博古拉 Shaheed Ziaur Ra​​hman 医学院医院医学部进行，为期一年，招募了 50 名渗出性胸腔积液受试者。不包括漏出性胸腔积液的病例。所有病例均进行针吸活检。将胸膜活检标本的组织病理学报告与其他数据相关联并进行分析，以找出积液的原因。恶性胸腔积液主要发生在41岁至70岁之间。 30岁之前未发现恶性积液。男性结核性和恶性胸腔积液的发病率远高于女性。联合胸膜活检和胸水分析诊断胸腔积液的敏感性和特异性对结核病分别为97.06%和100.%，对恶性肿瘤分别为81.82%和100.0%。目前的研究表明，胸膜活检是诊断胸腔积液原因的非常有效的方法。

Exudative pleural effusion appears as manifestation of underlying specific disease process and pleural biopsy is usually enough to find out the underlying causative disease. The aim of the study was to find out the efficacy of needle biopsy of pleura in the aetiological diagnosis of pleural effusion. This cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one year from January 2008 to December 2008 in the Department of Medicine, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh enrolling 50 subjects with exudative pleural effusion. The cases with transudative pleural effusion were not included. Needle biopsy was done in all the cases. Histopathological reports of pleural biopsy specimen were correlated with other data and analyzed to detect the causes of effusion. Major incidence of malignant effusion occurred between 41 to 70 years of age. No malignant effusion was found before 30 years of age. Incidence of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion was much more common in males than in females. Sensitivity and specificity of combined pleural biopsy and pleural fluid analysis in the diagnosis of pleural effusion was 97.06% and 100.% for tuberculosis and 81.82% and 100.0% for malignancy. The present study reveals that pleural biopsy was very effective method in the diagnosis of cause of pleural effusion.