M. Fiocco et Mj. Krasna, THE MANAGEMENT OF MALIGNANT PLEURAL AND PERICARDIAL-EFFUSIONS, Hematology/oncology clinics of North America, 11(2), 1997, pp. 253
Malignant pleural and pericardial effusions are debilitating complicat
ions of metastatic malignancy. Improper management may lead to multipl
e hospital admissions and loss of quality of life for patients with a
short life expectancy. The majority of malignant pleural effusions are
diagnosed and controlled by thoracentesis and sclerosis. Those with p
ericardial malignancy are best diagnosed and treated with pericardioce
ntesis and pericardial window. Strategies for the management of more d
ifficult cases are also discussed in this article.