PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Costica Mitrofan AU - Cristina-Elena Mitrofan AU - Dragos Barzu AU - Mugurel Bosanceanu AU - Lucian Farmatu AU - Denis Trufa AU - Cristina Grigorescu TI - Thoracoscopic palliative treatment of malignant pleural effusions DP - 2011 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - p3701 VI - 38 IP - Suppl 55 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3701.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3701.full SO - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38 AB - The aim of this study was to analyze the results of pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusion.Methods: We performed retrospectively study on 743 thoracoscopies for malignant effusions done in our clinic in the period January 2001 and December 2010. There were 336 males (45.2%) and 407 females (54.8%), ranging in age from 18 to 81 years (mean age: 59.4 years). The effusion was on the right side in 379 patients (51%), on the left side in 308 (41.5%), and bilateral in 56 (7.5%). Straw colored effusions were present in 423 cases (57%) and hemorrhagic in 320 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.Results: There was no intraoperative mortality. The primary tumor was: lung- 248 (33.4%), breast-218 (29.4%), mesothelioma-126 (17%), stomach-18, ovarian-24, prostate-9, colon-15, lymphoma-12, leukemia-9, plasmocytoma-4 and unknown primary tumor in 60 cases (8%). Adverse effects included-chest pain-252 cases (34%), fever-135 cases (18%), empyema-27cases, prolonged air leak -24 cases, pulmonary infection-6 cases, acute respiratory failure-5 case, malignant invasion of scar-3 patient. Duration of postoperative pleural drainage ranged between 2 and 10 days (mean: 3.23 days). The postoperative hospital stay ranged from 2 to 21 days (mean: 3.4 days). The results were very good in 654 patients (88%), acceptable in 71 patients (9.6%), and there was a failure in 18 patients (2.4%) after 1 month-follow-up.Conclusions: Thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis is a safe, economical and effective treatment for malignant pleural effusion.