Management of parapneumonic pleural effusion in children: Is there a role for corticosteroids when conventional nonsurgical management fails? A single-center 15-year experience.

Objective: Description of the use of corticosteroids for the management of parapneumonic pleural effusion in children.

Methods: Retrospective single-center observational study of all children hospitalized with a diagnosis of parapneumonic pleural effusion during a 15-year period.

Results: We documented 97 cases of parapneumonic effusion during the study period, with a median age (interquartile range [IQR]) of 43 (33-61) months.