title: [Early results of pleural decortication for empyema: an African series of 51 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the short term outcome of patients who underwent pleuro-pulmonary decortication.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of 174 patients treated for thoracic empyema in Point G Hospital, Bamako/Mali, between 2004 and 2007. Perioperative data of 51 patients who underwent pleuro-pulmonary decortication had been recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 174 patients treated, 51 (29.3%) underwent pleuro-pulmonary decortication. 84.5% were male and 70.6% were less than 45 years old. A recent history of tuberculosis was found in 59%. Among the four patients selected for a thoracoscopic procedure, only two were treated successfully. A conventional postero-lateral thoracotomy was used in the remaining 49 patients. The lung expansion, estimated intraoperatively, was complete in 43 cases and incomplete in eight cases. Among these eight patients with incomplete lung expansion, four developed a secondary empyema and required a thoracoplasty. The postoperative mortality was 6% (three patients).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our hospital, one third of patients with thoracic empyema required a pleuro-pulmonary decortication. Incomplete lung expansion is a potential risk factor of postoperative infection necessitating re-operation or more extensive surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie thoracique, centre hospitalier universitaire du Point G, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ouattara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Togo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koumaré
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doumbia
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Coulibaly
authors.forename: Z Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Sanogo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yena
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008302:Mali / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013510:Pulmonary Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult