According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some patterns of syndrome that lead to pleural effusion.1. Heavy accumulation of heat in the chest and diaphragm.2. Hydrops accumulated in the chest and hypochondrium.3. Heavy phlegm-heat in the chest.Integration of Chinese medicine and western medicine would be a good choice for this disease. When treating pleural effusion, Chinese doctors will take everything into consideration, including the following conditons. 1. Pulmonary embolism2. Hypoalbuminemia3. Cirrhosis4. Trauma5. Congestive heart failure 6. Kidney failure7. Infection 8. Malignancy