Medical Thoracoscopy in Lymphocytic Exudative Pleural Effusion

Introduction: Several diseases occur in the pleura space that requiring a study of pleural space.Medical Thoracoscopy(MT) is a suitable diagnostic tool that can provide a good view of the pleuralspace and taking a biopsy with minimal invasion.Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 28 patients with lymphocytic exudative pleuraleffusion was evaluated with MT. 18 patients (64%) were male. The age of the patients was 65 ± 12years. In all patients, the biopsy was taken from the parietal pleura.Results: In 22 patients (78%), the samples were diagnostic. In other cases, non-specific findings ofchronic inflammation have been reported. The smallest sample size was 2 × 5 × 4 mm and thelargest sample size was 1.5 × 1.5 × 1 mm. There were 12 cases (42%) of metastatic adenocarcinomaand 3 cases (10%) of mesothelioma. Seven patient (25%) had tuberculosis. Six cases ofadenocarcinoma patients underwent pleurodesis, all of which were successful except for 1pleurodesis. There were no major complication (death , respiratory failure or bleeding that leads tosurgery). 2 cases(7%) experienced relatively severe subcutaneous emphysema but all of themresponded to supportive care. In two cases(7%), chest expansion were not complete and patientsdischarged with relatively lung collapse.Conclusion: Medical Thoracoscopy is a convenient and safe procedure for the diagnosis of pleuraldiseases in Iran.