PLEUROSCOPY: AN IMPORTANT DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR A PULMONOLOGIST

Abstract

Pleural diseases are common problems in pulmonary practice. About 20% of pleural effusions remain undiagnosed despite repeated thoracocentesis and close needle biopsy. When these patients were subjected to diagnostic pleuroscopy its diagnostic yield was found to be 95% for malignancies and 100% for benign diseases. Pleuroscopy today is primarily a diagnostic procedure, but it can also be applied for therapeutic purposes. Contraindications to pleuroscopy are uncommon and rarely absolute. Pleuroscopy is a safe and effective treatment modality in the diagnosis and treatment of several pleuropulmonary diseases, if standard criteria are fulfilled. Authors have recently completed a study on comparison of pleuroscopy with Abram’s biopsy in the diagnosis of exudative pleural effusion at Jinnah Post Graduate and Medical Center. In that study the yield of pleuroscopy was 97% whereas that of Abram’s biopsy was 70%.