A comparative study of pleurodesis using talc slurry and bleomycin in the management of malignant pleural effusions

Differing success rates of various pleurodesis agents have been reported in the management of malignant pleural effusions. A randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of two commonly used agents, talc and bleomycin, for the pleurodesis of malignant pleural effusions. Methodology : Inclusion in the study required proof of a malignant pleural effusion by fluid cytology or pleural biopsy. Exclusion criteria included trapped lung, loculated effusions, recurrent effusions and life expectancy < 1 month. Five grams of talc or 1 unit per kilogram bodyweight of bleomycin mixed in 150 mL of normal saline was administered via tube thoracostomy after complete drainage of the pleural effusion in each patient. Treatment success was defined as the absence of recurrent pleural effusion on the chest radiograph 1 month after pleurodesis. Results : Treatment success was achieved in 16 out of 18 patients (89%) in the talc slurry group versus 14 out of 20 patients (70%) in the bleomycin group (P = 0.168). Fever and pain were the only side‐effects of pleurodesis in both groups. Conclusion : These results indicate that talc slurry is as effective as bleomycin in preventing early recurrence of malignant pleural effusions. Pleurodesis with talc instead of bleomycin can result in significant cost savings.     

Malignant pleural effusions

The estimated annual incidence of malignant pleural effusions in the United States is 150,000 cases. Patients most commonly present with dyspnea, initially on exertion and later at rest. Chemical pleurodesis is the most common modality of therapy for patients with recurrent, symptomatic, malignant pleural effusion. Talc is the most successful pleurodesis agent, and talc poudrage and slurry have equal efficacy. Although a number of cases of acute respiratory failure have been associated with talc pleurodesis, the incidence is < 1% and many of these episodes cannot be clearly attributed to talc alone. Although a low pleural fluid pH is associated with a decreased survival and less successful pleurodesis, pH should not be the sole criterion for recommending or withholding pleurodesis. Other factors that need to be considered before recommending pleurodesis include relief of dyspnea after therapeutic thoracentesis, general health of the patient, performance status, presence of trapped lung, and the primary malignancy. Pleuroperitoneal shunt or chronic indwelling catheter should be considered for patients who fail pleurodesis or who have a trapped lung.     

Use of tunneled pleural catheters for outpatient treatment of malignant pleural effusions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Malignant pleural effusion is a common complication in advanced malignancy that causes debilitating symptoms which result in impaired quality of life. The primary therapeutic goal in malignant pleural effusion management is effective palliation of the associated respiratory symptoms. Pleurodesis by chest tube or thoracoscopy is widely accepted as the gold standard treatment, although these treatments are not without problems. Tunneled pleural catheters represent a new safe and effective outpatient treatment option for these patients, with no reported mortality and minimal morbidity. RECENT FINDINGS: Chest tube insertion with talc slurry and thoracoscopy with talc insufflation are effective methods for achieving spontaneous pleurodesis, although associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A growing body of evidence is confirming that long-term palliation of malignant pleural effusion can be achieved by using tunneled pleural catheters in a large proportion of relatively unselected patients on an outpatient basis. SUMMARY: The optimal method for palliative management of malignant pleural effusion remains controversial. The high success rates, low complication rates and efficacy in patients with a wide range of performance status support the use of tunneled pleural catheters as a first-line treatment for symptomatic malignant pleural effusion.     

Serial Observations after High Dose Talc Slurry in the Rabbit Model for Pleurodesis

The mechanisms leading to a pleurodesis after the intrapleural injection of a sclerosing agent are not completely understood. The purpose of the present study was to make serial observations over 28 days on the pleural fluid findings and the gross and microscopic changes in the pleura after talc slurry administered intrapleurally at a high dose. Sixty-six rabbits received 400 mg/kg talc slurry. Ten to 12 rabbits were sacrificed 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, and 28 days after the intrapleural injection. At sacrifice the pleural fluid was measured and analyzed, and the pleural surfaces were studied grossly and microscopically. The intrapleural injection of 400 mg/kg talc slurry resulted in an acute exudative pleural effusion that persisted for 4 days. There was a progressive increase in the gross and microscopic fibrosis over the 28 days. Talc was present at the time of sacrifice in all animals. At 28 days there was a clinically significant pleurodesis in all rabbits; pleurodesis was not observed before this time. From this study we conclude that the intrapleural injection of 400 mg/kg talc slurry leads to an acute exudative pleural effusion and clinically significant pleurodesis that is present on day 28 but not day 14. It appears that the production of a pleurodesis requires higher doses of talc in rabbits without a chest tube than in humans with a chest tube. Accepted for publication: 11 December 1997     

Streptokinase for malignant pleural effusions: a randomized controlled study

Effective palliative treatment in malignant pleural effusion can only be carried out when the lung is fully expanded after drainage of effusion. We investigated the efficacy of intrapleural fibrinolytics for lysing fibrin deposits and improving lung reexpansion in patients with malignant pleural effusion. We randomly allocated 47 patients with malignant pleural effusion into 2 groups: a fibrinolytic group of 24 were given 3 cycles of 250,000 U intrapleural streptokinase; the control group of 23 received pleural drainage only. Pleurodesis with 5 mg of talc slurry was performed in all patients who had lung reexpansion after drainage. Patient characteristics, pleural drainage, lung expansion assessed by chest radiography, and pleurodesis outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Patient characteristics were similar in both groups. Lung reexpansion was adequate for performing talc pleurodesis in 96% of patients in the fibrinolytic group and 74% in the control group. In the fibrinolytic group, the mean volume of daily pleural drainage before streptokinase administration was 425 mL, and it increased significantly to 737 mL after streptokinase infusion. Intrapleural administration of streptokinase is advisable for patients with malignant pleural effusion.     

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。     

Serious complications with talc slurry pleurodesis

OBJECTIVE: Talc is a highly efficacious and commonly employed agent for chemical pleurodesis, which has generally been felt to be well tolerated. However, increasing reports of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have heightened safety concerns. A recent case of ARDS prompted us to review our experience with talc pleurodesis. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who received talc slurry pleurodesis at Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand, between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 1999 and documented all complications occurring within 48 h of the procedure. RESULTS: Thirty-three talc pleurodesis were performed on 29 patients, most commonly for a malignant pleural effusion. Complications occurred in 15 patients (52% of procedures). Minor complications included tachycardia (n = 11; 33%), pain (n = 9; 27%), fever (n = 8; 24%) and dyspnoea (n = 4; 12%). Major complications occurred in seven patients with hypoxaemia and hypotension. Two of these patients died; one death directly attributable to ARDS, the other hastened by a talc pleurodesis-related tachycardia. CONCLUSIONS: These results challenge the assumption that talc pleurodesis is a safe procedure. There were a significant number of serious complications, including a death, from ARDS. Physicians and patients should be aware that complications occur frequently after talc pleurodesis which may be life-threatening or fatal.     

Thoracoscopy talc poudrage : a 15-year experience

OBJECTIVES: To review our experience with thoracoscopy and talc poudrage during the previous 15 years with regards to efficacy, side effects, morbidity, and mortality. METHODS: Six hundred fourteen consecutive patients (58.6% female; mean age, 54.5 years) underwent thoracoscopy with talc poudrage from August 1983 to May 1999. Of these, 457 patients had malignant pleural effusions, 108 patients had benign pleural effusions, and 49 patients had spontaneous pneumothorax. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients were excluded from evaluation for efficacy: 30 patients (4.9%) because the lung did not expand at the time of the procedure and 34 patients (5.5%) because they died within 30 days of the thoracoscopy. All exclusions were in the malignant group. The overall success rate of the 393 patients with malignant pleural effusions was 93.4%, while the overall success for the 108 patients with benign effusions was 97%, although 7 patients (7%) with benign effusions required a second thoracoscopy. The success rate with pneumothorax was 100%. Major morbidity included empyema in 4%, reexpansion pulmonary edema in 2.2%, and respiratory failure 1.3%. CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopy with talc poudrage is effective in producing a pleurodesis in malignant and benign pleural effusion and in spontaneous pneumothorax. However, it should be noted that the insufflation of talc has a systemic distribution associated with a low rate of morbidity and perhaps does induce ARDS, which is sometimes fatal in a small percentage of patients. Because of these side effects, the search for a better agent should be continued.     

Minimally invasive thoracic surgery for diagnostic assessment and palliative treatment in recurrent neoplastic pleural effusion

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effectiveness of VATS in the diagnosis and palliative treatment of recurrent neoplastic pleural effusions. METHODS: From 1987 to 2001, we performed 325 VATS chemical pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusions. We used talc in 253 subjects (78 %) and alcohol in 72 (22 %) as the sclerosant agent. In 226 patients (68 %) we performed biopsies because the histology was unknown. RESULTS: Mean operating time was 33.38 +/- 9.77 minutes (median: 32; range: 19 - 58), and the mean duration of chest intubation was 3.78 +/- 1.33 days (median: 4; range 2 - 8). Complications occurred in 2 % of patients. Thirty-day mortality was 2 %. Mean postoperative in hospital stay was 5.53 +/- 1.90 days (median 6; range: 2 - 11). We obtained 264 (81 %) therapeutic successes (no effusion recurrence within 4 months), and 55 relapses of which 32 had talc insufflation (13 % of talc group) and 23 alcohol instillation (32 % of alcohol group). CONCLUSIONS: VATS chemical pleurodesis is a safe, useful, versatile procedure for oncological pleural effusion management. The use of talc rather than alcohol significantly increased the therapeutic success rate. VATS should be considered the treatment of choice in patients with advanced neoplasm to obtain good palliation and a better quality of life.     

可弯曲内科胸腔镜术对恶性胸腔积液的诊治价值

目的探讨可弯曲内科电子胸腔镜在诊治恶性胸腔积液中的价值。方法经可弯曲内科电子胸腔镜检查确诊的118例恶性胸腔积液的临床资料进行了分析,118例中55例经内科胸腔镜行滑石粉喷洒胸膜固定术。结果 118例均经胸膜活检病理确诊,包括肺癌胸膜转移106例(腺癌74例、鳞癌22例、小细胞癌7例、大细胞癌1例、病理未能分型2例),其他部位胸膜转移6例,胸膜间皮瘤4例,胸膜淋巴瘤2例。胸膜病变主要表现为大小不等的结节、肿块、扁平隆起、白斑、胸膜充血等。胸腔镜下滑石粉胸膜固定术组的胸水控制率为96.4%(53/55),通过胸腔闭式引流管注药的对照组胸水控制率为67.3%(37/55),两组疗效相差显著(P0.01)。胸膜固定术患者术后出现胸痛52例、发热45例,均对症治疗后好转,118例均未发现严重并发症。结论可弯曲内科电子胸腔镜术诊治恶性胸腔积液是一种安全、微创、高效而实用的方法,值得临床广泛推广。     

Experimental pleurodesis in rabbits induced by silver nitrate or talc: 1-year follow-up

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the pleurodesis results from the intrapleural injection of silver nitrate and talc slurry over an observation period of 12 months in rabbits. DESIGN: Rabbits were randomized to receive 2 mL of 0.5% silver nitrate or 400 mg/kg of talc slurry in 2 mL intrapleurally. Ten rabbits in each group were killed at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 10 months, and 12 months after intrapleural injection. The degree of gross pleurodesis and the amount of microscopic pleural fibrosis and inflammation were graded on a scale of 0 to 4. RESULTS: The mean +/- SEM gross pleurodesis score in the 70 rabbits that received silver nitrate was 3.34 +/- 0.08, which was significantly higher than the score of 2.32 +/- 0.09 in the 70 rabbits that received talc. The mean gross pleurodesis score was significantly higher at each of the observation times (p < 0.05), except at 2 months, in the rabbits that received silver nitrate. The pleurodesis was distributed throughout the thorax in the rabbits that received silver nitrate, while it was only in the ventral thorax in the rabbits that received talc slurry. The gross pleurodesis scores showed no tendency to decrease during the 12-month observation period in either treatment group. The persistence of talc in the pleural space did not lead to chronic inflammatory changes because the inflammation scores were similar in both groups at all observation times. The microscopic pleural fibrosis score tended to decrease with time in the silver nitrate group but not in the talc slurry group. CONCLUSIONS: The intrapleural injection of 2 mL of 0.5% silver nitrate produces a better pleurodesis than does the intrapleural injection of 400 mg/kg of talc slurry in rabbits. The pleurodesis induced by silver nitrate persists for at least 1 year. The efficacy of silver nitrate as a sclerosing agent in humans should be evaluated.     

Intractable pneumothorax successfully treated by talc slurry pleurodesis and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis]

Pneumothorax associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is intractable and often fatal because the patients are usually under a long-term steroid therapy, and are associated with severely impaired lung function. Further, pneumothorax itself recurs frequently, and acute exacerbation of IPF may develop after a surgical intervention. Here, we describe a case of intractable pneumothorax developed in a patient with IPF who was successfully treated with repeated talc pleurodesis combined with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under local anesthesia. A 67-year-old male with IPF who was under a long-term treatment with steroid, developed right-sided pneumothorax. A chest drainage tube was placed in the right pleural cavity, and repeated pleurodesis with minocycline or fibrinogen was challenged, but the outcome turned out to be unsuccessful. Then, talc slurry was applied repeatedly, resulting in a high-grade fever associated with reactive accumulation of pleural effusion. However, air leakage did not cease completely despite the eight-times pleurodesis with talc using 16 g in total. Finally, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under local anesthesia was undertaken and the pulmonary fistula was successfully closed.     

胸腔镜下胸膜固定术治疗恶性胸腔积液的疗效分析

目的探讨内科胸腔镜下滑石粉胸膜固定术治疗恶性胸腔积液的疗效。方法我科收治的48例中-大量恶性胸腔积液患者随机分为两组,实验组25例行内科胸腔镜下滑石粉胸膜固定术,对照组23例经常规胸腔闭式引流后于胸腔内灌注滑石粉。经胸膜固定后,对于PS 0-2分的患者均予全身化疗2周期。随访复查胸CT及B超,观察12周的胸水控制情况,并对两组的疗效及不良反应进行统计学分析。结果实验组有效率92.0%（23/25）、完全缓解率84.0%（21/25）,对照组有效率60.9%（14/23）、完全缓解率43.5%（10/23）,二者具有显著性差异。不良反应中,胸痛实验组高于对照组,差异有统计学意义;发热两组无统计学差异。结论内科胸腔镜下滑石粉胸膜固定术治疗恶性胸腔积液疗效好,且具有安全、微创特点,值得临床推广。     

Rapid pleurodesis is an outpatient alternative in patients with malignant pleural effusions: a prospective randomized controlled trial

Background

Chemical pleurodesis can be palliative for recurrent, symptomatic pleural effusions in patients who are not candidate for a thoracic surgical procedure. We hypothesized that effective pleurodesis could be accomplished with a rapid method of pleurodesis as effective as the standard method.

Methods

A prospective randomized ‘non-inferiority’ trial was conducted in 96 patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) who are not potentially curable and/or not amenable to any other surgical intervention. They were randomly allocated to group 1 (rapid pleurodesis) and to group 2 (standard protocol). In group 1, following complete fluid evacuation, talc slurry was instilled into the pleural space. This was accomplished within 2 h of thoracic catheter insertion, unless the drained fluid was more than 1,500 mL. After clamping the tube for 30 min, the pleural space was drained for 1 h, after which the thoracic catheter was removed. In group 2, talc-slurry was administered when the daily drainage was lower than 300 mL/day.

Results

No-complication developed due to talc-slurry in two groups. Complete or partial response was achieved in 35 (87.5%) and 33 (84.6%) patients in group 1 and group 2 respectively (P=0.670). The mean drainage time was 40.7 and 165.2 h in group 1 and group 2 respectively (P<0.001).

Conclusions

Rapid pleurodesis with talc slurry is safe and effective and it can be performed in an outpatient basis.     

Malignes Pleuramesotheliom und maligne Pleuraergüsse

Malignant pleural effusions can occur in all tumours, most frequently in lung cancer, breast cancer and lymphomas. Depending on the tumour type, systemic treatment (cytostatic therapy, hormones) can be administered, with or without removal of the pleural fluid. In the majority of patients, symptomatic/palliative local treatment and removal of the effusion is the only treatment possible, usually by drainage, combined with pleurodesis. Of the substances used for pleurodesis, the most effective is talc, either by poudrage during thoracoscopy or by instillation of“talc slurry”. Chemotherapy has become the mainstay of treatment in malignant pleural mesothelioma in the past 5 years. Two large randomized studies have established the modern combination of antifolates and cisplatinum as the standard therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clinical trials of second-line regimens and novel agents are ongoing. Surgery and radiotherapy may be used in selected patients in multimodality treatment regimens.     

Outpatient management of malignant pleural effusion using a tunneled pleural catheter: Preliminary experience

Inpatient management of malignant pleural effusion includes the placement of a conventional thoracostomy tube for drainage and talc slurry pleurodesis and/or a surgical approach consisting of video-assisted thoracoscopic talc insufflation. Both techniques require prolonged hospital stays of up to 1 week. Unfortunately, life expectancy in patients with this disease does not usually exceed 6 months, and so the primary aim of any palliative intervention intended to improve quality of life should be to avoid hospital admissions and to relieve pain as far as possible. Of the few outpatient alternatives to hospital management the most frequently used is repeated thoracentesis. We describe the outpatient management of malignant pleural effusion by placement of a tunneled pleural catheter in a patient with stage IIIB lung adenocarcinoma. In our opinion, the use of this catheter offers a viable alternative to conventional therapy and is better tolerated.     

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.     

Clinical efficacy and safety of thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusions

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In patients with disseminated neoplastic disease, recurrent pleural effusion is frequently observed. The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term efficacy and safety of pleurodesis by thoracoscopic talc poudrage (TTP) in malignant pleural effusions (MPEs). METHODS: We report a consecutive series of 102 patients (45 women, 57 men; 20 to 83 years of age) who underwent medical thoracoscopy and TTP for recurrent MPE between 1999 and 2001. Thoracoscopy was performed utilizing local anesthesia and IV sedation (medical thoracoscopy). For pleurodesis, an average of 8 g of sterile talc powder was used. One hundred eighty-day follow-up was completed for all patients, and outcome measures included time to recurrence of the effusion and survival. Efficacy was judged by clinical examination, chest radiograph, and/or thoracic ultrasound examination. Procedure-related complications were documented. RESULTS: The most common primary neoplasms were lung cancer (n = 48), breast cancer (n = 16), and malignant pleural mesothelioma (n = 10). Twenty-eight patients had other types of tumors, including renal cell carcinoma, ovarian carcinoma, GI tumors, prostate, malignant lymphoma, and unknown primary cancer. At the end of the primary observation period of 180 days, 38 of 46 surviving patients (82.6%) had a successful pleurodesis. Type of primary neoplasm had no significant influence on success rate. The 30-day mortality rate was 16.7% (n = 17). Survival curves after 180 days showed significant differences, with best survival in mesothelioma and shortest life expectancy in lung cancer (p = 0.005). Adverse effects included empyema in one case and malignant invasion of the scar. No episode of talc-induced ARDS was observed. CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis is a safe and effective method to stop recurrent MPEs. Lasting pleural symphysis is obtained.     

可弯曲内科胸腔镜术对胸膜疾病的诊治价值

目的探索可弯曲内科电子胸腔镜诊治胸膜疾病的价值及可行性。方法采用Olympus LTF-240型可弯曲内科胸腔镜对114例胸膜疾病患者在局麻下行开放式胸腔镜术，包括诊断组（含不明原因胸腔积液者及肺癌分期诊断者）、气胸组、胸膜固定术组及脓胸组。结果72例不明原因胸腔积液中确诊58例（80．1％），包括胸膜转移癌39例（肺癌胸膜转移38例、食管癌胸膜转移1例），胸膜间皮瘤3例，结核性胸膜炎15例，矽肺累及胸膜1例；未确诊的病例包括12例病理示非特异性炎症、2例胸腔镜检查未见异常。6例肺癌分期诊断者2例证实胸膜转移。13例气胸治愈7例（53，8％），胸膜固定术28例胸水均得到控制，脓胸6例均得到治愈。无1例出现严重并发症。结论可弯曲内科电子胸腔镜术容易耐受、安全、微创、费用低，是诊断疑难胸膜疾病及治疗难治性胸腔积液、脓胸的有效而实用的方法。