Diagnostic value of Medical thoracoscopy in malignant pleural effusion

Objective To evaluate the value of medical thoracoscopy for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion.Methods 138 patients with malignant pleural effusion undergone thoracoscopic biopsy and pathological examination.Results 94.2% of the cases had definite pathological diagnosis(130/138).Endoscopic features of the pleura could be divided into four kinds: ① nodules in 120 cases.② pleura thickening,fibroplasia and adhesions in 10 cases.③ pleura congestion and edema in 6 cases.④ pleura diffused hypertrophy and uneven in 2 cases.110 patients were diagnosed as lung cancer.Lung adenocarcinoma metastasis was the most common accounting for 67.4%(93/138).Malignant mesothelioma accounted for 5.8%(8/138).Malignant pleural effusion which could not be pathologically determined accounted for 3.6%(5/138).There were no serious complications in all cases.Conclusion Medical thoracoscopy is a safe and efficient diagnostic method for malignant pleural effusion.