A study of Light's criteria and possible modifications for distinguishing exudative from transudative pleural effusions.

Study Objective: To determine the usefulness of modifying Light's criteria for the separation of pleural transudates from exudates.

Design: Retrospective review of patients who underwent a diagnostic thoracentesis during a 2-year period.

Setting: Community teaching hospital in Lleida, Spain.

[Acute toxoplasmosis. Laboratory diagnosis].

Background: The microbiological diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis in immunosuppressed patients, cannot, usually, be done through serological techniques. The methods for isolation or direct detection of parasite are the only ones that might be helpful to determine an earlier diagnosis, on these patients.

Methods And Results: The use of urine in 3 patients with acute toxoplasmosis, allowed us to isolate the parasite after inoculation of the sample in human embryonic fibroblast cell line (MRC-5).