Current status of medical pleuroscopy.
Medical pleuroscopy (MP) offers a safe and minimally invasive tool for interventional pulmonologists. It allows diagnosis of unexplained effusion, while at the same time allowing drainage and pleurodesis. It can also help in the diagnosis of diffuse interstitial disease or associated peripheral lung abnormality in the presence of effusion. It can have a therapeutic role in pneumothorax and hyperhidrosis or chronic pancreatic pain. This article reviews the technical aspects and range of applications of MP.
Medford
Andrew R L
AR
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE3 9QP, Leicestershire, UK. andrewmedford@hotmail.com
Bennett
Jonathan A
JA
Free
Catherine M
CM
Agrawal
Sanjay
S
D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000601:surgery; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000601:surgery; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000601:surgery