PLEUROSCOPY - THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

Pleuroscopy is mostly regarded as a diagnostic procedure. Although the rapeutic uses of pleuroscopy were popular when pulmonary tuberculosis was common, they are less well known today. This review of modern ther apeutic pleuroscopy is based on both personal experience and previous reports. We have grouped the purposes of therapeutic pleuroscopy as 1) to provoke formation of pleural adhesions in the management of pleura l effusion, recurrent pneumothorax, chylothorax or (in selected cases) empyema, 2) to divide adhesions in persistent pneumothorax, 3) to per form pleural toilet in the fibrinopurulent stage of empyema, 4) to ret rieve foreign bodies, and 5) to achieve haemostasis and removal of clo tted blood following operation or trauma. These applications of pleuro scopy should be studied and popularized so that the method can attain recognition as a revived therapeutic procedure.