Módulo pleuroscopía Toracoscopía

Abstract

Thoracoscopy was first described in 1910. Since then it has been used for the study and treatment of pleural diseases. Its main indications today are the study of exudative pleural effusions of unknown etiology and the pleurodesis procedure via talc poudrage. Thoracoscopy allows exploring the pleural cavity and taking biopsies of pleural lesions. It can be performed in the endoscopy room or in the operating room. It is usually done under local anesthesia with spontaneous breathing and intravenous mild sedation. The diagnostic yield in malignant pleural effusions is over 95%, and its efficacy in getting pleurodesis is over 90%. Thoracoscopy is a simple and well tolerated procedure. In neoplastic disease it is a much better technique than the percutaneous pleural biopsy because of its high diagnostic yield and because it allows to carry out pleurodesis at the same time. In patients who have poor prognosis it may avoid more complex procedures like video assisted thoracic surgery.