[Malignant pleural effusions: recourse to early use of talc].
BACKGROUND
Our purpose was to assess the efficacy, permanence and safety of thoracoscopic talc poudrage (TTP) for pleurodesis in malignant effusions. We report the follow-up of 360 patients who received TTP in two centers in Marseille (France).


BACKGROUND
Eighty-eight patients presented with mesothelioma and 272 had pleural metastasis. The mean follow-up time was 12 months (range: 2-120). Out of the 327 patients whose response could be evaluated, 90.2% had a successful pleurodesis at 1 month, and 82.1% had a life-long pleural symphysis. Adverse effects included one death 3 days after the procedure in an end-stage patient, fever (9.8%), infection of the parietal scar (2.5%) and pulmonary infection (0.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
TTP is an effective and safe method of life-long pleurodesis. It should be performed early on in the history of malignant effusions to avoid failures of the technic, mainly linked to trapped lung and to the general condition of patients.
Viallat
J R
JR
Service de pneumologie, institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
Boutin
C
C
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000150:complications; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary; D018700:Pleurodesis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D013627:Talc / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D013627:Talc
Epanchements pleuraux malins: le recours précoce au talcage.