DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i05.046

Pages: 1681-1684

Thoracoscopy is a medical procedure involving the internal inspection of pleural cavity.The main diagnostic and therapeutic indications for medical thoracoscopy are pleural effusions and pneumothorax. Due to its high diagnostic accuracy approaching almost 100% in malignant and tuberculous pleural effusions, it should be used when pleural fluid analysis and needle biopsy are non diagnostic. In addition medical thoracoscopy provides staging for lung cancer and diffuse malignant mesothelioma. Talc poudrage as the best conservative method for pleurodesis can also be performed with medical thoracoscopy. It can also be effectively used in the early management of empyema.Medical thoracoscopyis a safe procedure which id even easier to learn than flexible bronchoscopy. Due to its high diagnostic and therapeutic efficiency, it should be applied increasingly in the management of the above mentioned pleuropulmonary diseases.