Source: Annual Congress 2001 - Thoracoscopy
Disease area: Thoracic oncology

Abstract

Medical thoracoscopy began nearly a century ago. In the last ten years there was a resurgence of this procedure. We reviewed all thoracoscopies performed between 1995 and 2000. The aim of the study was to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and incidence of complications. 76 thoracoscopies were performed during this period, in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions. In 85.5% patients the procedure was done for diagnostic purposes and in 14.5% patients exclusively for pleurodesis. Thoracoscopy was performed under local anesthesia with pre-medication with petidine and atropine. 65.8% were male and 34.2% female, with a median age of 59.1 years. In 47.4% of the patients only partial lung colapse was achieved because of the presence of multiple adhesions. Pleural fluid was mainly bloody (40.9%). Plaques and nodules were the lesions more often found. Of the 60 biopsies, 43.3% were neoplasms, 31.7% nonspecific pleuritis, 8.3% congestion, 3.3% pleural tuberculosis, 3.3% silicosis, 5% normal and 5% inconclusive. A low number of complications was observed (14.4%) and we got only 3 serious complications (2 respiratory insufficiencies and 1 pulmonary oedema). In our experience thoracoscopy proved to be a high diagnostic yeld procedure with a low rate of complications. Pleurodesis allowed sintomatic controle of recurrent pleural effusions.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
A. Magalhães, A. Machado, L. Iglesias, A. Amorim, V. Hespanhol (Oporto, Portugal). Thoracoscopy: a 6-year experience in a pneumology department. Eur Respir J 2001; 16: Suppl. 31, 3482

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