What does a positive Levantine test mean?

Levantine test is one of the main and most commonly used methods in clinical work as a way to distinguish between exudate and leaky fluid. It is generally used as a routine test to identify whether pleural fluid and ascites are inflammatory or not. A positive test indicates that the fluid is exudate and a negative test indicates that the fluid is leaky. Positive and negative abnormal results have different pathologies, respectively. Positive when the exudate is caused by inflammation, commonly due to infectious, non-infectious factors, and sometimes seen in malignant tumors. Negative is leaky fluid, unless inflammatory in nature. The basic causes of formation are decreased plasma colloid osmotic pressure, increased intravascular pressure, and blockage of lymphatic vessels.