title: Medical thoracoscopy: Survey of current practice-How successful are medical thoracoscopists at predicting malignancy?
abstract: Use of medical thoracoscopy by respiratory physicians is increasing. This survey of experienced thoracoscopists was conducted to establish current practice of medical thoracoscopy and physicians' opinion of theoretical cases using 20 video clips. Results suggest an increasing trend towards day-case thoracoscopy but that caution is required when making diagnosis on macroscopic appearance: malignant and benign disease could only be differentiated in 59% of cases, and trapped lung is difficult to predict at thoracoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hallifax
authors.affiliation: Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.affiliation: Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Psallidas
authors.affiliation: Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Najib M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D000072106:Pulmonologists / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*
keywords: malignancy; neoplasm; pleural disease; prediction; thoracoscopy