Thoracoscopic pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusions
Monday, April 17th, 2006.
Revista Medico-Chiruricala A Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti Din Iasi. 2005 Oct-Dec;109(4):799-803. [Link]
Mitrofan C, Aldea A, Grigorescu C, Jitaru I, Iosep G, Arama A, Danciu CE, Bolog S, Mihaescu T.
Clinica de Chirurgie Toracica, Facultatea de Medicina, Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie "Gr. T. Popa", Iasi.
Abstract
We performed retrospectively study on 136 thoracoscopies done in our clinic in the period January 2000 and December 2004. We reviewed 136 thoracoscopies, 71 patients were male and 65 were female (mean age 58.4 years). Straw colored effusions were present in 78 cases (57%) and haemorragic in 58 cases (43%). The surgical procedure consist in diagnostic of thoracoscopy with drainage of pleural effusion, multiply pleural biopsy, pleurodesis and continuous pleural drainage. In our study, the talc powder (5g) was successfully as sclerosing agent. The primary tumor was: lung-63 (46%), breast-26 (19%), mesothelioma-21 (15.5%), stomach-3, ovarian-3, prostate-3, colon-2, lymphoma-1, leukemia-2, plasmocitoma-1 and unknown primary tumor in 11 cases (8%). Adverse effects included-chest pain-35 cases (25%), fever-20 cases (15%), empyema-6 cases (4.5%), prolonged air leak-5 cases (4%), pulmonary infection-2 cases, acute respiratory failure-1 case, malignant invasion of scar-1 patient. For statistical analysis, the success of talc pleurodesis was defined as the absence of pleural fluid on the follow-up chest radiographs. Pleurodesis was successful in 125 cases (92%) of the patients after 1 month-follow-up. Thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis is a safe, economical and effective treatment for malignant pleural effusion.
Glossary
- prostate
- (pros-tate) a gland found only in men. It is just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate makes a fluid that is part of semen. The tube that carries urine, the urethra, runs through the prostate.
- lymphoma
- (lim-foam-uh) a cancer of the lymphatic system, a network of thin vessels and nodes throughout the body. Its function is to fight infection. Lymphoma involves a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment methods for these two types of lymphomas are very different.
- leukemia
- (loo-key-me-uh) cancer of the blood or blood-forming organs. People with leukemia often have a noticeable increase in white blood cells (leukocytes).
- colon
- the large intestine, part of the digestive tract. The colon is a muscular tube about 5 feet long.
- biopsy
- (buy-op-see) the removal of a sample of tissue to see whether cancer cells are present. There are several kinds of biopsies. In some, a very thin needle is used to draw fluid and cells from a lump. In a core biopsy, a larger needle is used to remove more tissue.
- tumor
- an abnormal lump or mass of tissue. Tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
- pleural effusion
- an abnormal accumulation of fluid, usually caused by trauma or disease, in the pleural space.
