State of the Art: Pleuroscopy

The terms pleuroscopy, thoracoscopy, medical thoracoscopy, and video-assisted thoracic surgery are often used interchangeably to describe a minimally invasive procedure that provides access to the pleural space, parietal pleura, lung, and other structures within the thoracic cavity. Pleuroscopy is a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of thoracic oncology 2007-07, Vol.2 (7), p.663-670
Main Authors: Lee, Pyng, Colt, Henri G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biopsy - methods
Equipment Design
Flex-rigid
Humans
Lung Diseases - diagnosis
Pleura
Pleuroscopy
Thoracoscopes - standards
Thoracoscopy
Thoracoscopy - standards
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Summary:The terms pleuroscopy, thoracoscopy, medical thoracoscopy, and video-assisted thoracic surgery are often used interchangeably to describe a minimally invasive procedure that provides access to the pleural space, parietal pleura, lung, and other structures within the thoracic cavity. Pleuroscopy is a more exact term for describing visualization of the pleura and contents of the pleural cavity using an endoscope. This procedure provides physicians a window into the pleural space, to perform biopsy of the parietal pleura under direct visual guidance, particularly for biopsies in cases of exudative effusions with unclear origin, chest tube placement, and pleurodesis to prevent recurrent pleural effusion or pneumothorax in selected patients. In this state-of-the-art review, we discuss the indications, contraindications, and complications of pleuroscopy, and its role in thoracic oncology.
ISSN:1556-0864
1556-1380
DOI:10.1097/JTO.0b013e318070ccaf