Diagnostic value of adenosine deaminase in tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion

Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is a common problem for differential diagnosis from malignant effusion (MPE) in epidemic areas of tuberculosis (TB). Prediction based on adenosine deaminase (ADA) is dependent on age as well as the tuberculosis incidence.Aim of the work: To estimate the value of cutoff point of ADA in MPE and TPE & to evaluate its role in differential diagnosis in Egypt a country with high incidence of TB.Subjects & methods: The study was conducted in Kaser El-Aini Hospital, Cairo University in the period from April 2011 to January 2012. It was carried on 30 patients. We retrospectively analyzed 30 patients with a definitive diagnosis of TPE (n = 19) and MPE (n = 11). The optimal cutoff value of ADA was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. There was a statistically significant difference according to the levels of pleural fluid ADA between TPE and MPE groups.Result: Confirm that ADA is a very useful parameter for the differential diagnosis of TPE and MPE, specifically in younger with a higher incidence of tuberculosis