Thoracoscopy in the Early Diagnosis of Malignant Pleural Effusions

Role of Medical Thoracoscopy Guided Pleural Biopsy in Diagnosis of Moderate to Massive Exudative Pleural Effusion

“…Diagnostic yield of thoracoscopic pleural biopsy can be as high as 95% in malignant pleural effusions and 99% in TB pleural effusions which is far superior to that of pleural fluid analysis and closed pleural biopsy. 12 These findings along with results of our study and similar studies mentioned above suggest that thoracoscopic pleural biopsy should be considered in all patients with pleural effusions who remain undiagnosed after initial pleural fluid analysis.…”

Semirigid thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of pleural effusion: first four cases in Turkey

“…Kapalı plevra biyopsisinin bu kısıtlılıklarını aşmak için medikal torakoskopi en doğru seçenektir. Boutin ve arkadaşlarının 150 olguluk prospektif çalışmasında Abrams iğnesi ile yapılan kapalı plevra biyopsisinin pozitif tanı değeri %36 iken, torakoskopi uygulanan olgularda tanıya %87 oranında ulaşılmıştır (10). Panadero ve arkadaşlarının 556 olguluk serisinde biyopsi ile tanı elde etme oranı %95'tir (3).…”

Indications and Developments of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery in the Treatment of Lung Cancer

“…Compared with the VATS approach, less invasive nonsurgical techniques (thoracentesis, pleural needle biopsy) for malignant pleural effusions have a lower overall diagnostic yield that is around 62% with cytology from the effusion, 44% with needle biopsy, and 95% with thoracoscopy, with the latter having a significantly higher sensitivity [38]. When these techniques are combined, then needle biopsy with cytological results from effusions was positive in 74% of cases, whereas all methods taken together were diagnostic in 97% of cases; value for thoracoscopy alone was 95%.…”

“…In a series by Boutin et al [38] of 1,000 consecutive patients with pleural effusions, 215 cases remained undiagnosed after repeated pleural fluid analyses and performance of pleural biopsies. This is in agreement with the results of several other authors who, without the use of thoracoscopy, reported that at least 20%-25% of pleural effusions remain undiagnosed [43,44].…”