Pleural effusion?

CIW

Hey, all. I had a thoracic MRI today to rule out bone mets. Luckily, it was clear, but my scan did show “trace bilateral pleural effusions” that are new since my last scan in May.

Obviously, Dr. Google tells me it’s not normal, but my oncologist isn’t too worried. I work as a nurse and asked one of the docs I work with and she didn’t think it was particularly normal, but also not necessarily a big deal. It’s still weirding me out though.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? If so, do you mind sharing your experience and what came of it?

moth

CIW, any chance you had a resp infection since May?

I had a teeny tiny effusion as a consequence of radiation induced pneumonitis. I was told it can occur after some sort of inflammatory process in the lung.

CIW

Moth, thank you so much for getting back to me! I don’t remember having a respiratory infection. The air quality has been bad here lately from wildfires. No clue if that could impact it. I know it’s probably nothing but it’s still unsettling since I’ve never had a scan show that until today. Your experience makes sense. Did they just go away on their own? Were you symptomatic? I’ve had months of on and off shortness of breath (which is why I had the scan in May), but then I’ve assumed it must be nothing.

moth

oh yeah, I was symptomatic - presented with worsening SOB. I needed a couple weeks of steroids for the pneumonitis. It all cleared up with time.

I wonder if yours is just one of those incidental findings that we wouldn't even know about normally except we have scans now...like all the benign lung nodules that people are walking around with. Hate it when we get things on scans that make us go "hmmmmmm...."

edj3

I've got a pleural effusion that's exactly what Moth described--apparently I've had it since at least 2005, so way before breast cancer or radiation. No one's worried about it so I don't either--sharing so you've got a data point for your own experience.

CIW

edj3 and moth,

Thank you so much for sharing these perspectives. I think I was most weirded out that it is new since May. I agree though, it’s probably incidental. I will *try* to forget about it lol, but we all know how that goes.

Thank you, ladies!