Clinical-therapeutic management of thoracoscopy in pleural effusion: a groundbreaking technique in the twenty-first century.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of non-affiliated pleural effusions (PE).


METHODS
A five-year prospective study including data from 110 patients that were clinically diagnosed as benign (14.5%), malign (34.5%) and non-affiliated (50.9%). PE in patents without oncology disease and negative biopsy or cytology were considered as benign. Malignant diagnosis was established according to a pleural biopsy, compatible cytology and/or clinical features. Remaining cases were considered as non-affiliated. Thoracoscopy was done under local anaesthesia and sedation.


RESULTS
Thoracoscopy confirmed previous clinical diagnosis of benignity and malignity. Regarding non-affiliated patients, 30.35% were diagnosed after thoracoscopy as unspecific pleuritis, 17.86% mesothelioma and 1.79% pleural tuberculosis (TBC). The other 48.21% of patients reported as non-affiliated were diagnosed with pleural carcinoma. Statistical analysis did not reveal differences between frequencies analysed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that thoracoscopy is a cost-effective and reliable technique for obtaining histological diagnosis in PE and also allows a directed pleurodesis if indicated.
Thoracic Surgery Service, General University Hospital of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
José Marcelo
JM
Galbis
Manuel
M
Mata
Ricardo
R
Guijarro
Rafael
R
Esturi
Salvador
S
Figueroa
Antonio
A
Arnau
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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