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Review
. 2013 Sep;5 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):S413-9.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2013.09.04.

Malignant pleural effusion and algorithm management

Konstantinos Zarogoulidis  1 , Paul Zarogoulidis, Kaid Darwiche, Kosmas Tsakiridis, Nikolaos Machairiotis, Ioanna Kougioumtzi, Nikolaos Courcoutsakis, Eirini Terzi, Bojan Zaric, Haidong Huang, Lutz Freitag, Dionysios Spyratos
Affiliations
Review

Malignant pleural effusion and algorithm management

Konstantinos Zarogoulidis et al. J Thorac Dis. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Involvement of the pleura in lung cancer is a common manifestation accompanying with reduced life expectancy. Symptoms relief and improvement of the quality of life are the primary goals of the management of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Histological confirmation is essential for optimal patient management. Lung cancer patients, with life expectancy more than 3 months, resistant to chemotherapy should be treated with thoracentesis, intercoastal tube drainage and installation of a sclerosant agent or pleurodesis through thoracospopic procedures or placement of an indwelling pleura catheter. Talc pleurodesis (sterile asbestos-free graded, particle size >15 μm), as "poudrage" or "slurry" still remains the treatment of choice in patients with MPE resistant to chemotherapy.

Keywords: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE); pleurodesis; suicide gene therapy; thoracoscopy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chest radiograph demonstrating production of a meniscus sign along the left lateral chest wall (arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Profile X-ray-decubitus position-demonstrating a free flowing effusion (arrows).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chest computer tomography demonstrating a right malignant pleural effusion (arrows).
Figure 4
Figure 4
A thoracic ultrasonography detecting pleural fluid PF.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Thoracoscopic view in the right pleura cavity. The chest wall pleura is infiltrated with whities nodular tumor deposits secondary to metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Management algorithm of the of Lung Cancer primary malignant pleural effusions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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