Management of recurrent pleurisies by thoracoscopy

Abstract

Recurrent pleural effusion is commonly seen in clinical practice and results from the anatomical and/or functional impairment of the pleural surfaces by benign or malignant processes. There is a wide range of clinical entities responsible for the production of these effusions and can be subgrouped according to the biochemistry of the fluid into transudates (resulting, in particular, from heart, liver, or kidney failure) and exudates (principally generated by nonspecific infections, tuberculosis, or neoplasms).