[Medical thoracoscopy in respiratory medicine: The Liège University Hospital experience]

The incidence of pleural disease continues to increase worldwide. Medical thoracoscopy remains the standard method for exploration of the pleural cavity.

We report the retrospective evaluation, the efficacy and the observed complications in 1024 medical thoracoscopies undertaken in the University Hospital of Liège between 2000 and 2017.

In total, 100 pneumothoraces and 400 benign and 501 malignant pleural diseases were identified. The main indication for thoracoscopy remains the diagnosis of an exudative, lymphocytic pleural effusion of unknown aetiology after thoracocentesis. The diagnostic sensibility of thoracoscopy was 99.2% in distinguishing benign from malignant pleural disease. Talc pleurodesis was performed in 69.5% of the total population and in 66.1% of pleural effusions or thickening. Failure of pleurodesis was observed in 11% of the patients with recurrent pneumothorax and in 7.8% of neoplastic pleural effusion. We report a mortality of 0.6% in the 30 days post procedure, long duration of drainage in 8.3% and serious complications in 4.7%. In 22/1024 (2.1%) thoracoscopic evaluation was not feasible because of dense pleural fibrosis.

Medical thoracoscopy is a safe, well-tolerated procedure with high accuracy in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of pleural disease.