[Development and thinking of Chinese expert consensus on diagnosis of pleural effusion].

The consensus published in this issue was developed over a period of 1.5 years, and it was discussed and revised by the expertpanel from pleural and mediastinal diseases working group (preparatory) of Chinese Thoracic Society and external experts in several meetings. This article introduced the purpose, process and thinking in the writing of the consensus, hoping to provide a reference for readers to understand the content of this consensus and to make reasonable application in clinical practice.本期发表的“胸腔积液诊断的中国专家共识”制定历时1年半，由中华医学会呼吸病学分会胸膜与纵隔疾病学组（筹）专家以及相关领域专家经过多次会议讨论和修订制定而成。本文对共识撰写历程和撰写工作中的思考进行介绍，希望为读者理解本共识的内容和合理选择应用提供参考。.