Study objective: To investigate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopi
c sterilization to treat patients with exacerbation of chronic empyema thor
acis.
Design: Case reports and Literature review.
Setting: Academic department of surgery.
Patients: Two elderly, debilitated patients with worsening, chronic empyema
thoracis as diagnosed by radiographs, CT, and thoracentesis. Both patients
had a history of therapeutic pneumothorax for tuberculosis without broncho
pleural fistulas.
Interventions: Video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization of the thoracic c
avity.
Measurements and results: There was no recurrence of empyema during a B-yea
r follow-up period for one patient and a 2.5-year follow-up period for the
other patient.
Conclusions: Video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization is a minimally inva
sive useful treatment for elderly or debilitated patients with exacerbation
of chronic empyema thoracis.