CONTEXT While a large number of studies indicate the risks of high-level exposures to asbestos in the workplace setting, a relatively small number of studies describe the risk of pleural disease related to "take-home" asbestos brought into the household by workers exposed to asbestos. Consequently, the risk of pleural disease in family members of asbestos-exposed workers is likely underapprecia...

BACKGROUND Thoracoscopy with a semirigid instrument is a recent technique for diagnosing pleural diseases. The purpose of this study was to report diagnostic yield and complications of the method. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with pleural effusion of unknown origin and/or pleural irregularities suspicious for pleural malignancy were included after less invasive means of diagnosis had failed....

A-mode ultrasound investigation has been performed in 62 patients, of whom 35 presented problems of diagnosis and management of pleural disease. In seven patients with known pleural effusion in whom aspiration had failed ultrasound correctly identified fluid at a site different from the aspiration attempts and in all seven cases it weas successfully removed. The remaining 28 patients had the ra...

BACKGROUND Diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB) using routinely available diagnostic methods is challenging due to the paucibacillary nature of the disease. Histopathology and pleural tissue TB culture involves an invasive procedure which requires expertise and appropriate equipment, both often unavailable in many health units. Xpert MTB/Rif test has been widely evaluated in sputum specimens ...

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare primary tumor rising from the pleura and is associated with exposure to asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma is a locally aggressive disease that usually presents at an advanced stage and has a median overall survival of 1 year. Treatment options rarely result in cure of disease and range from trimodality treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surger...

Pleural effusion is a common finding amongst hospitalized patients and indicates the presence of disease which may be pulmonary, pleural or extrapulmonary. The differential diagnosis of pleural effusion is wide but a systematic approach allows a definitive aetiology to be identified in at least 75% of patients.' The last few years have seen an escalation in the development of new diagnostic tes...

Brucella melitensis (BM) is a rare respiratory pathogen. The lungs are usually affected in the subacute and chronic course of the disease, when pleurisy, empyema, hilar adenopathy, pneumonia and lung abscess have been described. We present a patient with BM haemorrhagic pleural effusion, with low pH, low glucose and positive pleural fluid cultures. Brucellosis should be considered in the differ...

Diffuse pleural mesothelioma is a rare condition with a poor prognosis. Recent reports have indicated that extensive surgery combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy prolongs the survival of selected patients with early disease. Thoracoscopy allows complete visualization of the pleural cavity and provides high-quality biopsy samples. We present a case of successful diagnosis of bilateral ple...

BACKGROUND Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive tumor that can be difficult to diagnose, resulting in a delayed diagnosis in some cases. Recent studies have reported that determination of soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) in pleural fluid may be a promising marker for use in the diagnosis of MM. PATIENTS AND METHODS Pleural fluid SMRP concentration was measured in 68 pa...