[Thoracoscopic pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusions].

We performed retrospectively study on 136 thoracoscopies done in our clinic in the period January 2000 and December 2004. We reviewed 136 thoracoscopies, 71 patients were male and 65 were female (mean age 58.4 years). Straw colored effusions were present in 78 cases (57%) and hemorrhagic in 58 cases (43%). The surgical procedure consist in diagnostic of thoracoscopy with drainage of pleural effusion, multiply pleural biopsy, pleurodesis and continuous pleural drainage. In our study, the talc powder (5g) was successfully as sclerosing agent. The primary tumor was: lung-63 (46%), breast-26 (19%), mesothelioma-21 (15.5%), stomach-3, ovarian-3, prostate-3, colon-2, lymphoma-1, leukemia-2, plasmocytoma-1 and unknown primary tumor in 11 cases (8%). Adverse effects included-chest pain-35 cases (25%), fever-20 cases (15%), empyema-6 cases (4.5%), prolonged air leak-5 cases (4%), pulmonary infection-2 cases, acute respiratory failure-1 case, malignant invasion of scar-1 patient. For statistical analysis, the success of talc pleurodesis was defined as the absence of pleural fluid on the follow-up chest radiographs. Pleurodesis was successful in 125 cases (92%) of the patients after 1 month-follow-up. Thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis is a safe, economical and effective treatment for malignant pleural effusion.