[The usefulness of thoracoscopic surgery for pleuritis carcinomatosa]

We performed thoracoscopic surgery for pleuritis carcinomatosa, in which re-expansion of the collapsed lung was impossible, by employing tube thoracostomy. One of the treatments used for pleuritis carcinomatosa was drainage of the pleural effusion followed by re-expansion of the collapsed lung. The decortication and biopsy of the pleura and the pleural effusion drainage with the thoracoscopic procedure were performed, allowing control of the pleural effusion and re-expansion of the collapsed lung to be accomplished. We conclude that thoracoscopic surgery is useful for the thoracic treatment of pleuritis carcinomatosa.