Pleural effusions: outpatient management with pigtail catheter chest tubes.
Pulmonary effusions associated with ovarian cancer indicate advanced disease. Although many patients tolerate these effusions, some are symptomatic and manifest respiratory distress. Therapeutic sclerosis of the pleural cavity is successful in some patients; however, not all patients are relieved of respiratory symptoms. We present two symptomatic patients in whom sclerosis was unsuccessful or not an option; their respiratory symptoms were relieved with placement of pigtail catheter chest tubes that allowed discharge from the hospital and management at home. Catheters were easy to manage at home and there were no infectious complications.
Van Le
L
L
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7570.
Parker
L A
LA
DeMars
L R
LR
MacKoul
P
P
Fowler
W C
WC
D000368:Aged; D015505:Chest Tubes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*