These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Diagnostic role of closed pleural biopsy in the investigation of exudative pleural effusions.
    Author: Biswas A, Bhatracharya S.
    Journal: J Indian Med Assoc; 2008 Aug; 106(8):525-6. PubMed ID: 18975513.
    Abstract:
    Closed pleural biopsy is known to be diagnostic in approximately 75% of pleural effusion undiagnosed by thoracocentesis or pleural fluid evaluation. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of closed pleural biopsy in a teaching hospital, Eastern India. The study was undertaken in all patients with exudative pleural effusion who were admitted in the department of chest medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, during the period from January 2001 to December 2005. Abram's needle was used for closed pleural biopsy in every case. One hundred and thirty-three pleural biopsies were performed with the needle. Twenty-three cases were excluded due to obtaining no pleural tissue. Specific diagnoses were obtained in 64 cases giving a diagnostic yield of 48.12%. Of these 17 revealed malignancy, 37 tuberculosis, and 10 empyema. A non-specific diagnosis was obtained in 46 cases (34.58%). By closed pleural biopsy 48.12% of undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions could be diagnosed which shows that closed pleural biopsy is still of value as a diagnostic procedure, and should be carried out prior to invasive procedures such as thoracoscopy or open pleural biopsy.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]