[Applications and uses of pleurography in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax]

In a group of 74 patients, it proved possible by pleurography to localise bronchopleural fistulae, subpleural vesicles and interpleural adhesions. A comparison of the diagnostic procedures, pleurography, pulmonary CT scan and thoracoscopy, revealed that pleurography was best suited for the detection of bronchopleural fistulae, computed tomography was best in revealing subpleural or intrapulmonary vesicles, and thoracoscopy was best to demonstrate the presence of adhesions. In our patient material, the expanded diagnostic workup of spontaneous pneumothorax led to a substantial reduction in the so-called idiopathic pneumothorax from 53% to 26%. By preparing a differentiated therapeutic means, it was possible to appreciably reduce the recurrence rate of pneumothorax from 41% to 22%.