Diagnostic Thoracoscopy

Thoracoscopy: Origins Revisited

“…Six patients had minimal air leak or transient hypotension and only 1 patient had a more serious event, an empyema which was drained. The Ochsner Clinic group concluded that thoracoscopy was ‘a safe and highly accurate diagnostic technique’ [43]. Similar findings were published by Bloomberg 4 [44 ]in 1970.…”

Medical Thoracoscopy

“…O 2 desaturation during thoracoscopy under local anesthesia is unusual, and – in our experience – it is remarkable that the procedure is especially well tolerated when facing large pleural effusions that are removed just after insertion of the trocar, thus improving the respiratory function. In four studies including 819 patients, no fatal case was reported [43, 44]. The complication rates in our thoracoscopy series, including talc poudrage, are reported in table 3.…”

Thoracoscopy: general overview and place in the diagnosis and management of pleural effusion

“…In four studies concerning 819 patients, no fatal case was reported [11,20,24,25]. The most severe complications were as follows: subcutaneous emphysema in 39 (5%) patients; transient cardiovascular complications in 10 (1%) patients; empyema (two patients); fever (two patients); excessive bleeding (one patient); and air embolism (one patient).…”

“…In the study by HARRIS et al [18], patient management was directly affected by thoracoscopy in 85% of patients. Pleural fluid analysis will suggest malignancy or tuberculous pleuritis in the case of elevated LDH, lymphocytosis, a combination of lymphocytic and haemorrhagic effusion [18] or an effusion which occupies more than half a hemithorax [25]. In the case of negative cytology and negative testing for TB (culture, ADA, interferon-c, PCR), thoracoscopy is warranted.…”