Diagnostic yield of semi rigid thoracoscopy in unexplained exudative pleural effusion- Experience from tertiary care hospital of east India

IntroductionIn most of the pleural effusion, fluid analysis generally gives the etiological diagnosis but in almost 20% it remains unclear. This study was designed to determine the diagnostic yield of a pleural biopsy using semi rigid thoracoscope and its complication rates.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective observational study conducted in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS Patna. All the patients diagnosed as unexplained pleural effusion between Jan 2018 and December 2019 were included in the study.ResultsTotal 76 out of 97 patients with unexplained exudative pleural effusion underwent medical thoracoscopy in the given period of 2 years. The mean age of the patients was 57.63 years. There were 46 males and 30 females. 38 patients (50%) had right-sided pleural effusion. More than half (52.6%) of study patients were on Anti-tubercular treatment in which only 11.84% had tuberculosis. In both unilateral and bilateral pleural effusion, the proportions of small, moderate, and large size of pleural effusions were 10.52, 42.10, and 47.36%, respectively. Thoracoscopy yielded a definitive diagnosis in 66 out of 76 patients (86.84%), and in 10 patients (13.15%), biopsy was inconclusive. Of 76 patients, malignancy was confirmed in 58 (76.31%), and tuberculosis in 8 (11.84%) patientsConclusionThis study concludes that, medical thoracoscopy with semi-rigid thoracoscope is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of patients with unexplained exudative pleural effusion. It is a very simple and safe method with high diagnostic yield and associated with few complications. Malignancy was found to be the most common cause of unexplained exudative pleural effusion     

Medical thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of unexplained pleural effusion

Abstract Approximately 20% of pleural effusions remain without an established aetiology after evaluation. Thoracoscopy has a very high sensitivity for the diagnosis of both benign and malignant diseases and greatly increases the diagnostic yield for pleural effusion. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of medical thoracoscopy at this institution. The records of all patients undergoing medical thoracoscopy for the evaluation of undiagnosed pleural effusion between 1990 and 1996 were reviewed. The procedure was performed under local anaesthesia with sedation using a Stortz rigid thoracoscope. Fifty-eight patients had thoracoscopy, most having had two (range: 1–6) non-diagnostic pleural aspirations and biopsies of the pleura. Nineteen patients were found to have mesothelioma and nine metastatic malignancy. Three patients were considered likely to have tuberculous pleural disease, six had asbestos related benign pleural fibrosis and three post-cardiotomy syndrome. There was one chylous effusion of uncertain aetiology, one post-traumatic and two other benign effusions, both of which resolved without clear aetiology. On seven occasions the pleural space could not be adequately accessed, but none of these patients had prior computerized tomography (CT) or ultrasound of the pleural space. There were five false negative diagnoses of malignancy, but no false positives. The diagnostic sensitivity for pleural malignancy was 85% and specificity 100%. There were no major complications, but four patients had late tumour seeding at the thoracoscopy site. Medical thoracoscopy is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic yield. Pre-operative evaluation of the pleural collection using ultrasound or CT increases the likelihood of successful access to the pleural space and may increase diagnostic yield.     

Thoracoscopic practices in India-a survey by Indian chest society

BackgroundDiagnostic thoracentesis is the initial diagnostic investigation in the workup of an undiagnosed Pleural effusion. However, a significant percentage of pleural effusions remain undiagnosed after this step and after closed pleural biopsy. Medical thoracoscopy (MT) has a high diagnostic yield in these patients. MT is now widely practised in India. This survey endeavours to study the practice of this technique by respiratory physicians in India.MethodsAn electronic survey called ‘Indian Thoracoscopy survey’ was prepared and conducted under the aegis of Indian Chest Society. In all there were 63 Questions in English prepared and disseminated as a “Google Form” to conduct this survey. The subjects were recruited from the e-mail lists of the three major professional surgeries that serve the interests of the respiratory physicians. The participation in the survey was voluntary and no incentive of any sort was offered to the participants. The survey link was kept open for a 3-month period.ResultsThere were total 659 respondents, whose mean age was 41.5 years and majority of them were males (n = 564, 85.6%). The largest group of respondents practiced in corporate/private hospitals (n = 315, 47.8%). Only 311 (47.2%) respondents performed MT. Of these, 190 (61.1%) used flex-rigid/semi rigid thoracoscopes. Undiagnosed pleural effusions (N = 194; 62.4%) and recurrent pleural effusions (N = 117; 37.6%) were the most common indications for performing MT. Majority of the thoracoscopists (222, 71.4%) used conscious sedation and a combination of Midazolam and Fentanyl was the most preferred combination (n = 238; 76.5%). Most follow the manufacturer's recommendation for thoracoscope cleaning and disinfection and had safety check lists in place.ConclusionOur survey captures the practice of MT in India. MT seems to be increasing in popularity with significant numbers of respiratory physicians performing the procedure. Respondents felt that MT was a valuable investigation that was underused and more of them wanted to learn. It is safe to perform MT under conscious sedation and local anaesthesia and a boon to patients who required surgical procedures for evaluation of difficult to diagnose pleural diseases. The setup cost is significant and would not justify installation in all centres. The lack of opportunities for training is something that needs to be looked in to.     

Evolution of semi-rigid thoracoscopy

Pleural effusions despite being so common, there is no much literature available regarding definite diagnosis for pleural effusions. Application of Light's criteria changed the approach to pleural effusion and till date remains a very useful step in the diagnosis of pleural effusions. Pleural fluid biochemistry and adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme levels play a significant role in the diagnosis of tubercular effusion. Studies have shown that levels of ADA are more often higher in tubercular effusion than in any other cause for it. But ADA levels can also be elevated in other types of parapneumonic effusions (PPEs), especially complicated PPEs. Hence it is difficult to distinguish a tubercular pleural effusion (TPE) from other PPEs based on pleural fluid ADA levels alone. LDH/ADA ratio as an indicator for ruling out tuberculosis was analyzed in few studies with high sensitivity and specificity. The pleural fluid cytology has a varying sensitivity, with a maximum of only 60% and it may increase with subsequent tapping. Closed pleural biopsy using a Cope or Abrams needle has a sensitivity up to 80% in cases of tuberculous effusion and 40%–73% in cases of Malignancies.Semi-rigid thoracoscopy not only allows for visualization of the pleura but also helps in procuring the biopsies under direct visualization from the abnormal looking areas. In cases of primary pleural malignancies like mesothelioma, pleurodesis can also be done in the same setting after taking the biopsy, hence reducing the number of procedures. Limitation of the semi-rigid thoracoscopy is smaller sample size and more superficial sampling of the pleura. Cryobiopsy and Electrocautery guided pleural biopsy using the IT knife are the modifications in the semi-rigid thoracoscopy to overcome the drawback of smaller sample size. While navigation band image guided pleuroscopy helps in better visualization of the vasculature of pleura during the biopsy.Management of pleural effusions has evolved over a period of time. Starting with a single criterion based on pleural fluid proteins to semi-rigid thoracoscopy. The inexhaustible research in this field suggests the desperate need for a gold standard procedure with cost effectiveness in the management of undiagnosed pleural effusions. Semi-rigid thoracoscopy has revolutionized the management of undiagnosed pleural effusions, but it has its own limitations. Various modifications have been proposed and tried to overcome the limitations to make it a cost-effective procedure.     

Advances in pleuroscopy

Objectives

To describe the technique of pleuroscopy, its clinical uses such as diagnosis of exudative pleural effusion, treatment of pleural infection, treatment of pneumothorax, and diagnosis and pleurodesis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Also to describe the newer techniques developed such as minothoracoscopy, semirigid thoracoscopy, narrow band imaging pleuroscopy, infrared pleuroscopy, autofluorescence pleuroscopy.

Data source

We searched the pubmed the last decade for publications with the key words pleuroscopy, medical thoracoscopy, pneumothorax and pleuroscopy, malignant pleural mesothelioma, minothoracoscopy, semirigid thoracoscopy, autofluorescence pleuroscopy.

Conclusion

Medical thoracoscopy is the method of choice for investigation of the undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions. Newer techniques, such as narrow band imaging thoracoscopy, infrared thoracoscopy, autofluorescence thoracoscopy are offering a promising future for medical thoracoscopy.     

内科胸腔镜对老年疑难性胸腔积液的诊断价值

目的内科胸腔镜在诊断老年疑难性渗出性胸腔积液的价值。方法应用内科胸腔镜对56例老年疑难性渗出性胸腔积液患者进行检查,术中对可疑病变部位进行直视下多点活检,比较镜下表现与病理结果相关性,评价手术的安全性。结果56例疑难性渗出性胸腔积液患者中病理确诊51例,诊断阳性率92．9％,其中转移性腺癌16例（28．5％）,鳞癌7例（12．5％）,小细胞癌2例（3．6％）,食道癌胸膜转移1例（1．8％）,淋巴瘤2例（3．6％）,恶性胸膜问皮瘤4例（7．1％）,结核病20例（35．7％）,非特异性慢性炎症2例（3．6％）;2例（3．6％）病理为阴性,所有病例均未发生严重并发症。结论内科胸腔镜检查对老年性疑难性渗出性胸腔积液诊断阳性率高、简单、安全、并发症发生率低。     

胸腔镜与经皮胸膜活检在胸腔积液诊断中的临床价值

目的比较内科胸腔镜和经皮胸膜活检在胸腔积液诊断中的价值。方法分析我院同期开展内科胸腔镜(胸腔镜组)和经皮胸膜活检(闭式活检组)的胸腔积液患者,比较两组的病理诊断阳性率及安全性。结果胸腔镜组病理诊断阳性率显著高于闭式活检组,胸腔镜组恶性肿瘤诊断率显著高于闭式活检组,胸腔镜组胸膜结核的诊断率与闭式活检组无显著性差异;两组并发症比较无显著性差异。结论经皮胸膜活检和内科胸腔镜对于胸腔积液诊断均是安全、有效的方法。     

Pleural controversy: Closed needle pleural biopsy or thoracoscopy—Which first?

The most efficient and cost-effective approach to the diagnosis of pleural exudates remains controversial. Important considerations include the respective diagnostic yields of thoracocentesis, closed pleural biopsy and thoracoscopy; the incremental gain in diagnostic yield when sequentially combining these investigations; and the role of various image modalities. The diagnostic yield of thoracocentesis is in the order of 60% for malignancy and >90% for tuberculosis. A second aspiration may increase the yield for malignancy, but a third is generally superfluous. Many authorities consider thoracoscopy the investigation of choice in exudative pleural effusions where a thoracocentesis was nondiagnostic and particularly when malignancy is suspected. It allows for the direct inspection of the pleura and for talc poudrage. Thoracoscopy has a diagnostic yield of 91-95% for malignant disease and as high as 100% for pleural tuberculosis. Access to thoracoscopy is, however, limited in many parts of the world, as significant resources and expertise are required. Blind closed pleural biopsy has a yield of 80% for tuberculosis and <60% for pleural malignancy. Recent studies suggest that CT and/or ultrasound guidance may improve the yield, particularly for malignancy, where it may be as high as 88% and 83%, respectively. A second thoracocentesis combined with an image-assisted pleural biopsy with either an Abrams needle or cutting needle, depending on the setting, may therefore be an acceptable alternative to thoracoscopy. With such an approach, thoracoscopy may potentially be reserved for cases not diagnosed by means of closed pleural biopsy.     

135例胸腔积液患者内科胸腔镜检查及临床意义

目的探讨内科胸腔镜检查对不明原因胸腔积液患者的临床意义。方法分析内科胸腔镜检查135例患者的临床资料。结果135例中,经胸腔镜胸膜活检确诊104例（77．0％）,其中病理为恶性肿瘤和结核性胸膜炎各51例（49．0％）,脓胸2例（1．9％）。135例胸腔积液患者经胸腔镜检查病因诊断阳性率85．9％。恶性肿瘤和结核性胸膜炎患者经胸腔镜胸膜活检阳性率分别为79．7％和91．1％。结论内科胸腔镜检查对不明原因胸腔积液患者有获得病理诊断、病因诊断及准确肺癌分期等临床意义。     

Is there any role for thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of benign pleural effusions

Thoracoscopy in the endoscopy suite, has a high diagnostic yield of undiagnosed pleural effusions with minimal and mild complications. Whereas relatively minimal invasive techniques, such as thoracentesis, image‐guided pleural biopsy or blind pleural biopsy, can yield sufficient cell or tissue material to establish the diagnosis of the underlying condition, more definite invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedure, such as thoracoscopy, may be required for accurate sampling and diagnosis, and further provide real‐time treatment options in same procedure. If thoracoscopy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis is a fact in case. The current review aims to provide informations on thoracoscopy indications in benign pleural diseases according to up to date publications.     

Medical thoracoscopy in an Australian regional hospital

Medical thoracoscopy is not widely available in Australia. A medical thoracoscopy service has been set up in a regional hospital using no specialized equipment and at minimal cost. Of the first 100 procedures carried out, 89 were for investigation of pleural effusion, 6 for pneumothorax and 6 for empyema. Of the 89 pleural effusions, 73 were diagnosed as malignant (43 carcinoma, 24 mesothelioma, 3 lymphoma, 2 melanoma and 1 sarcoma). The sensitivity for a malignant diagnosis was 94.5%, with 100% specificity. Four patients had unsuspected tuberculous effusions. Pleurodesis was carried out with instillation of dry sterile talc in 67 cases. In 92.5% of these, no further drainage procedure was needed. There was one fatality caused by pre-existing sepsis in a debilitated patient with disseminated carcinoma. Medical thoracoscopy is a simple, safe and cost-effective technique for diagnosing and treating pleural effusions and provides a useful service in the setting of a regional hospital.     

内科胸腔镜对胸腔积液诊断和治疗的临床价值

目的：探讨内科胸腔镜对胸腔积液的诊断价值,以及应用内科胸腔镜滑石粉胸膜固定术对恶性胸腔积液的治疗价值。方法回顾性性分析2008年1月至2014年1月在郑州市第三人民医院呼吸内科接受内科胸腔镜诊断的142例胸腔积液患者的临床资料。评价内科胸腔镜对胸腔积液的诊断阳性率和分析病因。将确诊为恶性胸腔积液的患者分为胸腔镜组和对照组。胸腔镜组给予内科胸腔镜滑石粉胸膜固定术,对照组胸给予胸腔引流管内灌注滑石粉而实现胸膜固定。对两组的疗效进行对比和分析。结果在142例胸腔积液患者中,有136例经内科胸腔镜检查及病理活检明确诊断,确诊率达95.8%。其中恶性胸腔积液(含恶性胸膜间皮瘤2例)85例(59.9%),结核性胸膜炎31例(21.8%),肺炎旁积液13例(9.2%),非特异性炎症7例(4.9%),原因不明胸腔积液6例(4.2%)。确诊的85例恶性胸腔积液患者中,胸腔镜组56例,1个月后复查有效率为91.1%,完全缓解率为82.1%;对照组29例,1个月后复查有效率为69.0%,完全缓解率为48.3%,两组有效率和完全缓解率比较,差异均有统计学意义(χ2值分别为6.786、10.555,P 值分别为0.009、0.001)。结论内科胸腔镜对胸腔积液具有较好的确诊率,内科胸腔镜滑石粉胸膜固定术可以有效地治疗恶性胸腔积液。     

Frozen section of pleural biopsies at medical thoracoscopy assists in correctly identifying benign disease

OBJECTIVES: Medical thoracoscopy and thoracoscopic talc poudrage (TTP) are accepted procedures in the management of pleural effusions. The relative merits of TTP compared with pleurodesis via intercostal catheter (ICC) continue to be debated. However, of the two procedures, only medical thoracoscopy allows both tissue diagnosis and pleurodesis to be achieved reliably in one procedure. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of using frozen section analysis of samples taken during medical thoracoscopy to assist the thoracoscopist's decision to complete the procedure with a TTP. METHODOLOGY: Twenty patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions after at least one diagnostic pleurocentesis underwent medical thoracoscopy and biopsy. RESULTS: Frozen sections were easily performed within the timeframe of medical thoracoscopy. The final diagnosis based on paraffin sections was malignant in 10 cases and benign in 10 cases. Frozen section at the time of thoracoscopy (before TTP) correctly identified nine of 10 cases as being benign and six of 10 cases as malignant. In the malignant group, reasons for incorrect identification as benign were sampling from superficial benign adipose tissue overlying the malignant deposits, difficult access to the most involved parts of the pleura and intense cellular infiltrate initially thought to be benign. CONCLUSION: Frozen sections taken during medical thoracoscopy have the potential to facilitate decision-making prior to pleurodesis, particularly for accurate identification of benign histology on thoracoscopic pleural biopsies, in order that pleurodesis is not performed unnecessarily.     

Rentabilidad diagnóstica y seguridad de la criobiopsia pleural durante la toracoscopia médica en el estudio del derrame pleural. Una revisión sistemática y metaanálisis

ObjectiveCurrent evidence on the diagnostic yield and safety of pleural cryobiopsy (CB) is based on a series of heterogeneous studies with limited cohorts. A pooled analysis of these studies could improve the evidence and contribute to a better understanding of this new technique.MethodologyWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies that included data on the yield and diagnostic safety of pleural CB compared with procedures performed using conventional flexible forceps. The heterogeneity of the analysis was evaluated by determining the I² index, while study quality was measured with the QUADAS-2 tool.ResultsSeven studies involving 356 patients were used for the final evaluation. In 55.6%, the etiology of the pleural effusion was malignant, 61.1% of which were lung cancer. The diagnostic yield of pleural CB was 95% (95% CI 92-97) vs. 91% (95% CI 87-94) with conventional flexible forceps (P = .019). Mild bleeding was reported in 67% of CB procedures (95% CI 62-72) compared with 85% of conventional flexible forceps procedures (95% CI 79-90) (P < .001). CB specimens were larger, and fewer artifacts were detected. A pooled analysis of the detection of molecular changes could not be performed. Heterogeneity was moderate to high, although the quality of the studies was acceptable.ConclusionsPleural CB is a safe technique with a high yield for etiological diagnosis of pleural effusion, and larger specimens with fewer artifacts are obtained. Molecular determinations should be investigated in more depth.     

Diagnostic tools in tuberculous pleurisy: a direct comparative study.

Thoracoscopy is the most accurate yet most expensive tool for establishing the diagnosis of tuberculous (TB) pleurisy. However, most high TB-incidence regions have limited financial resources, lack the infrastructure needed for routine thoracoscopy and require an alternative, cost-effective diagnostic approach for pleural effusions. Altogether, 51 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions were recruited for a prospective, direct comparison between bronchial wash, pleural fluid microbiology and biochemistry (adenosine deaminase (ADA) and cell count), closed needle biopsy, and medical thoracoscopy. The final diagnosis was TB in 42 patients (82%), malignancy in five (10%) and idiopathic in four patients (8%). Sensitivity of histology, culture and combined histology/culture was 66, 48 and 79%, respectively for closed needle biopsy and 100, 76 and 100%, respectively for thoracoscopy. Both were 100% specific. Pleural fluid ADA of > or = 50 U x L(-1) was 95% sensitive and 89% specific. Combined ADA, lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio > or = 0.75 plus closed needle biopsy reached 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity. A combination of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase, differential cell count and closed needle biopsy has a high diagnostic accuracy in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions in areas with high incidences of tuberculosis and might substitute medical thoracoscopy at considerably lower expense in resource-poor countries.     

内科胸腔镜对恶性胸腔积液诊治的临床研究

目的探讨内科胸腔镜在恶性胸腔积液诊治中的临床应用效果。方法对我科以恶性胸腔积液住院的患者,分为胸腔镜组及对照组,对诊治结果进行诊断分析,评价内科胸腔镜对恶性胸腔积液的诊断阳性率和治疗恶性胸腔积液的临床疗效。结果胸腔镜组确诊率为92.9%,对照组确诊率为69.05%。两组患者的治疗效果比较,其完全缓解率具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论内科胸腔镜对恶性胸腔积液进行胸膜活检,诊断率阳性率高,在治疗方面,胸腔镜下胸膜固定术能够有效地控制恶性胸腔积液的产生,效果明显优于传统胸腔引流术,值得临床广泛推广应用。     

Pleural Lavage: A Novel Diagnostic Approach For Diagnosing Exudative Pleural Effusion

Patients with pleural effusions frequently present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The diagnosis is based on the interpretation of the results of thoracentesis or pleural biopsy. When a malignant tumor metastasizes to the pleura, tumor cells can be seeded over the mesothelial surface or in the subserous layer. In the former situation, tumor cells are abundant in pleural fluid, but in the latter, few malignant cells are exfoliated into the pleural cavity, and microscopic deposits may not be visualized at thoracoscopy. Pleural lavage cytologic study at the time of thoracoscopy has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of thoracoscopic pleural lavage as an adjuvant in the diagnostic workup of patients with exudative pleural effusions. Fifty patients with exudative pleural effusions were investigated by pleural fluid cytologic findings, Abram's pleural biopsy, thoracoscopy, and pleural lavage cytologic findings. After aspiration of all pleural fluid, 300 mL saline was instilled into the pleural cavity and then recovered for cytologic analysis. The final diagnoses were 32 malignant (64%), 15 tuberculous (30%), and 3 idiopathic (6%) effusions. In the malignant group, thoracoscopic biopsy had the highest yield (94%) followed by lavage cytologic analysis (84%), fluid cytologic analysis (62%), and biopsy with Abram's needle (50%). The sensitivity of combined thoracoscopy and lavage cytologic analysis was 96%. In the patients with tuberculous pleuritis, the yield from the pathologic examination of the biopsy specimen was 93% with thoracoscopy and 60% with the Abrams needle. The diagnostic yield with cytologic analysis on pleural lavage fluid is significantly higher than that on pleural fluid. This is probably because the cells in the lavage fluid are fresher and better preserved than those in the regular pleural fluid, which may have undergone degenerative changes, yielding false-negative results. Pleural lavage cytologic analysis should be performed in patients with suspected malignant pleural effusion who are subjected to diagnostic thoracoscopy, because it may provide additional information to thoracoscopic biopsy. Accepted for publication: 21 November 2000     

Factors associated with discrepancy between fresh frozen and permanent biopsy from medical thoracoscopy: single center analysis of 172 medical flexible thoracoscopy cases

BackgroundFrozen sections prepared during medical thoracoscopy (MT) have precise diagnostic ability in pleural pathology and may assist in decision-making before pleurodesis. The present study evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity of frozen sections from flex-rigid MT, and further evaluated clinical parameters for their association with a discrepancy between frozen sections and permanent paraffin sections.MethodsThis retrospective study evaluated 172 patients who underwent flex-rigid MT between February 2017 and November 2019 at Incheon Saint Mary’s Hospital.ResultsOf the 172 patients, 85 were pathologically diagnosed with malignancy based on permanent paraffin sections. An accurate diagnosis by fresh frozen section was feasible in 88.2% of the cases compared to the permanent paraffin sections. Among the 85 patients, 75 had malignancies in frozen sections, while 10 patients showed otherwise. In the 85 malignant cases, age, sex, the volume of effusion, thoracoscopic findings, as well as the final pathological diagnosis (lung vs. non-lung origin) were included in univariate analysis for an association with non-malignant frozen section results. High adhesion grade and malignancy other than lung cancer were significant factors associated with frozen section negative cases in a multivariable analysis.ConclusionsTaking fresh frozen sections during MT using a flex-rigid bronchoscope is a useful diagnostic modality with reliable sensitivity for malignancy. However, if the pre-procedural diagnosis is likely to be a malignancy other than lung cancer, and if severe adhesions are present in the pleural cavity, the final pathological confirmation should be determined based on permanent paraffin sections, not only on fresh frozen sections.     

内科胸腔镜联合快速现场评估对不明原因胸腔积液的诊断价值

目的 探讨内科胸腔镜联合快速现场评估(ROSE)对不明原因胸腔积液的诊断价值及临床应用.方法 回顾性分析98例不明原因胸腔积液患者的临床资料,其中内科胸腔镜联合ROSE检查的患者52例,未联合ROSE检查的患者46例.比较两组患者胸膜活检情况、二次检查率、并发症发生率、诊断率,分析ROSE结果 与术后病理一致性及ROS...     

Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy improves yield of Xpert MTB/RIF for diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis

Background and objective

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) accounts for ~15% of all TB patients, and TB pleural effusion is the second most common site of EPTB. The diagnosis of pleural TB is challenging due to the pauci‐bacillary nature of the disease. Histopathology of thoracoscopically obtained pleural biopsy provides the highest diagnostic yield. The Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) is a PCR test that can identify both Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin resistance. Currently, there is a lack of clarity regarding the value of Xpert on pleural tissue. We report our experience of using Xpert on thoracoscopic pleural biopsy samples.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent thoracoscopy in our institution over a 1‐year period. Relevant clinical details; indications; and results of tests on pleural tissue and fluid, including histopathology, mycobacterial cultures and Xpert, were extracted.

Results

Of the 156 patients who underwent thoracoscopy, 73 (47%) had TB, 66 (42%) malignancy and 17 (11%) other conditions. Histopathology was diagnostic in all the 73 TB patients (100%). The yields of the microbiological tests against histopathology on thoracoscopic biopsy sample and pleural fluid were: pleural tissue Xpert 45%, pleural tissue culture 39%, pleural fluid culture 17% and pleural fluid Xpert 14%. Pleural tissue provided higher yields than fluid in both Xpert and culture (P < 0.05). Pleural tissue Xpert provided a higher yield than culture and substantially improved yield compared with closed pleural biopsy as we previously reported.

Conclusion

Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy results in increased sensitivity on Xpert testing.