ABSTRACT
I. Introduction Pleural diseases affect over 3000 patients per million population and can arise from more than 50 lung and extra-pulmonary disorders (1). The causes of pleural diseases, their molecular mechanisms, diagnosis, and their best treatments are often complex-and require consideration of both local (pleural) and systemic factors. Our knowledge on the pathogenesis of pleural diseases remains limited, and in part accounts for relatively lack of novel therapies in pleural diseases in the last few decades.
