title: Systemic corticosteroids decrease the effectiveness of talc pleurodesis.
abstract: Corticosteroids can inhibit the inflammatory process and the formation of fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the concurrent use of steroids at the time of talc-slurry pleurodesis would influence the development of the pleurodesis. One group of rabbits received an intrapleural injection of talc (400 mg/kg) and an intramuscular injection of triamcinolone (0.8 mg/kg) 1 d before talc instillation and weekly thereafter, whereas a control group received only talc. Ten rabbits in each group were killed at 6 h and at 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, and 28 d after instillation. The mean volume of pleural fluid was significantly lower in the group receiving corticosteroids at 6 h through 4 d after talc slurry than in the other groups. The degree of pleural adhesion was significantly smaller in the group receiving corticosteroids from Day 2 through Day 28. At Day 28, all 10 rabbits that received talc only had a pleurodesis score of 3 or 4, whereas only four of the 10 rabbits that also received steroids had a pleurodesis score of 3 or 4. This study shows that the use of corticosteroids at the time of talc-slurry pleurodesis markedly decreases the inflammatory reaction to the talc, and essentially prevents a pleurodesis from developing.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Saint Thomas Hospital and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37202, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Light
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology; D018700:Pleurodesis; D011817:Rabbits; D013627:Talc / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000267:Tissue Adhesions; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014221:Triamcinolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013627:Talc; D014221:Triamcinolone