The past, current and future of diagnosis and management of pleural disease

Pleural disease is frequently encountered by the chest physician. Pleural effusions arise as the sequelae of underlying disease processes including pressure/volume imbalances, infection and malignancy. In addition to pleural effusions, persistent air leaks after surgery and bronchopleural fistulae remain a challenge. Our understanding of pleural disease including its diagnosis and management, have made tremendous strides. The introduction of the molecular detection of organism specific infection, risk stratification and improvements in the non-surgical treatment of patients with pleural infection are all within reach and may be the standard of care in the very near future. Malignant pleural effusion management continues to evolve with the introduction of tunneled pleural catheters and procedures combining that and chemical pleurodesis. These advances in the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of pleural disease as well as what seems to be an increasing multidisciplinary interest in the space foretell a bright future.