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Treatment of malignant pleural effusions.

Malignant pleural effusions are common in cancer patients with advanced disease. These patients usually present with chest pain, cough, and progressive shortness of breath, all of which may cause significant impairment in quality of life. Therapeutic options include systemic treatment; thoracentesis; or, most commonly, tube drainage and sclerotherapy. These procedures are usually palliative and are performed depending on patients' symptoms, underlying medical conditions, extent of disease, performance status, and prognosis. This review focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant pleural effusions.

Adult↗

[Value of determining the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions].

BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion (PE) is a common problem in medical practice. Transudative effusions usually do not present difficulty in diagnosis, in most populations. Exudative PE however, require careful differential diagnosis that include necessarily tuberculosis and metastatic cancer. METHODS: We have conducted a cross-sectional study of 221 patients with persistent PE, in order to evaluate accuracy of determining adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) for diagnosis of tuberculosis pleuritis. This group of patients, taken mostly from the State Hospital for pulmonary diseases, consecutively, was constituted as follows: 1) Tuberculosis (confirmed, n = 150; likely, n = 9); 2) Cancer (confirmed, n = 21; likely, n = 16; Lymphoma = 3); and 3) Miscellaneous (n = 22). All individuals were submitted to clinical examination, chest X-ray, blood tests, and underwent thoracocentesis with pleural biopsy. Pleural fluids were analyzed by routine tests plus determination of ADA activity using Giusti's Method. RESULTS: In agreement with previous reports we have found 40 U/L to be the best cutoff point according to a Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis of our data. Sensitivity of ADA activity < or = 40 U/L was 93.3% and specificity 93.5%, resulting in a positive predictive value of 97.2% and a negative predictive value of 85.3%, in this specific population of patients, when taking into account only the individuals with confirmed tuberculosis by histopathology or culture. Three out of the 4 patients with elevated ADA without tuberculosis had lymphoma. CONCLUSION: ADA determination in pleural fluids, a quick and inexpensive technique, is shown to be an accurate method for identifying tuberculosis pleuritis. Our findings are comparable to reports from other series, and stress how useful it is to incorporate this test to the routine evaluation of pleural effusions in areas of high incidence of tuberculosis.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

[Psoas abscess caused by nephrolithiasis with perirenal abscess complicated with pleural effusion].

Left pleural effusion was found in a 60-year-old woman in whom chest radiography performed during a physical check up revealed no abnormality. Abdominal CT scanning revealed an abscess in the left psoas muscle. The psoas abscess was eliminated temporarily by drainage under ultrasonographic guidance and by the administration of antibiotics, but recurred one month later. A stag-horn renal stone considered to have caused the psoas abscess by formation of a perirenal abscess was eliminated by left nephrectomy. It is suggested tentatively that the psoas abscess might have been the cause of the pleural effusion.

Abscess↗

[Prognostic features of residual pleural thickening in metapneumonic pleural effusion].

Residual pleural thickening (RPT) develops in some patients after metapneumonic pleural effusion (MPE). Our aim was to identify factors that predict the development of RPT by retrospectively analyzing patients with MPE secondary to bacterial pneumonia in our practice from 1992 through April 1997. Patients were assigned to groups based on the presence or not of RPT (> 10 mm) three months or more after diagnosis of MPE. One hundred twenty-eight patients were included in the analysis. Seventy-nine patients (62%) developed RPT and 49 (38%) did not. Patients with RPT had significantly lower glucose levels and pH and higher LDH levels in pleural fluid. A higher percentage of patients with RPT had loculate pleural effusions and empyema, and they more often required insertion of drains. Logistic regression analysis showed that only glucose < 40 mg/dl (OR: 3.4; CI 95%: 2.3 to 4.5; p < 0.05) and the presence of pus collected from the initial thoracocentesis (OR: 3.6; CI 95%: 2.6 to 4.5; p < 0.01) were significantly associated with increased risk of developing residual pachypleuritis in subjects with MPE.

Disease Transmission, Infectious↗

[Intrapleural administration with OK-432 and cultured autologous pleural effusion lymphocytes for breast cancer patients with malignant pleural effusions: analysis of 84 patients over a 14-year period].

Autologous effusion lymphocytes cultured for 9-13 days with condition medium containing T cell growth factor were transferred after intrapleural administration with a streptococcal preparation, OK-432, for 84 breast cancer patients with cytologically-confirmed malignant pleural effusion. Effusion disappeared in 54 and decreased in 19 patients, while in 11 the treatment was ineffective (87% response). A positive cytology changed to negative in 52 of 55 (95%) of the patients tested, while in 29 patients, effusion sample could not be obtained after treatment. A multivariate analysis of prognostic factors showed a significantly poorer prognosis in patients with the following concomitant metastases: liver metastasis, lung metastasis with lymphangitis carcinomatosa, and simultaneous bilateral effusions. Median survival time (MST) of all patients was 9 months (5-year survival: 18%). However, MST of the patients with limited disease (patients without liver metastasis, lymphangitis, or bilateral effusion) was 23 months (5-year survival: 28%). Ten patients survived more than 5 years (3 survived over 10 years) after the treatment among 46 patients with follow-up periods of > 5 years.

Adult↗

Level of antibodies against mycobacterial glycolipid in the effusion for diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (pTB) is often difficult because the culturing of tubercle bacilli results in a negative test in the majority of cases. Serological tests for the detection of antibodies to tuberculous glycolipid (TBGL) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) have been introduced for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. We examined the levels of these antibodies, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in the pleural effusion and compared their diagnostic values in pTB. METHODS: We studied 65 patients with pleural effusion. Of those, 19 patients were diagnosed as having pTB according to our broad case definition. The etiologies in the other 46 patients were malignant effusion, transdative effusion and miscellaneous diseases. Determiner TBGL antibody (D-TBGL-Ab) and MycoDot were used for the detection of anti-LAM and anti-TBGL antibodies, respectively, in the pleural effusion. RESULTS: The sensitivity of ADA was 78.9% (15/19) and the specificity 97.8% (45/46). The sensitivity of IFN-gamma was 84.2% (16/19) and the specificity 93.5% (43/46). The sensitivities of D-TBGL-Ab and MycoDot were both 52.6% (10/19) and their specificities were 95.7% (44/46) and 97.8% (45/46), respectively. When DTBGL-Ab (cutoff point: 2.0 U/ml) and ADA activity (cutoff point: 57 IU/l) were combined, the sensitivity was 94.7% (18/19) and the specificity 93.5% (43/46). CONCLUSIONS: In the diagnosis of pTB, D-TBGL-Ab and MycoDot each have low sensitivity but high specificity. When D-TBGL-Ab is used in combination with ADA, the sensitivity and specificity are both >90%. We conclude that D-TBGL-Ab and ADA in combination are useful in the diagnosis of pTB.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Primary pleural effusion posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder: Distinction from secondary involvement and effusion lymphoma.

Pleural effusion presentation of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is relatively uncommon. Most examples of effusion-based PTLD have been secondary to widespread solid organ involvement, and are associated with an aggressive clinical course. We report on a case of primary effusion PTLD in a 70-yr-old male liver transplant recipient with a history of hepatitis B infection. Cytomorphologically, the pleural fluid specimen showed a monomorphous population of intermediate to large-sized transformed lymphoid cells, with irregular multilobated nuclear contours and readily identifiable mitotic figures. Flow cytometric immunophenotypic studies revealed a CD5-negative, CD10-negative, lambda immunoglobulin light chain-positive, monoclonal B-lymphocyte (CD19-positive/CD20-positive) population. The immunocytochemical stain for CD30 antigen was negative. In situ hybridization study for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early RNA (EBER) and Southern blot analysis for EBV terminal repeat sequences were both positive. Southern blot analysis for human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) was negative. No solid-organ PTLD was identified, and the cytologic results supported the diagnosis of primary effusion PTLD. Immunosuppression was decreased, and 8 mo following the diagnosis of pleural fluid PTLD, the patient was stable and his pleural effusion had markedly diminished. Recognition of primary effusion PTLD and its distinction from PTLD secondarily involving the body fluids and from other lymphomas is important, since the behavior and prognosis appear different.

Aged↗

Rhabdomyosarcoma in a child with massive pleural effusion: cytological diagnosis from pleural fluid.

We report on a case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in an 11-yr-old boy investigated for mild chest pain after trauma. Chest radiography showed a massive right pleural effusion. Cytological analysis of the pleural fluid demonstrated the presence of malignant small undifferentiated cells. The rhabdomyoblastic nature of the cells was confirmed by positive immunostains of HHf35 actin, desmin, and skeletal muscle myosin; histological examination of a core biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma. Computed tomography and gallium scan revealed the presence of an extensive anterior and lower chest wall mass involving the mediastinum, as well as retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Massive pleural effusion is a frequent presentation in malignant disease, but is rare in rhabdomyosarcoma. The immunochemical stain studies performed on cytological smears in this case proved to be very useful for making the definitive and accurate diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:125-128.

Child↗

Thoracoscopic management of malignant pleural effusions.

Malignant pleural effusion is a common condition and often presents a challenge for treatment. We report our experience from a single institution with the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the management of malignant effusions. From September 1992 to April 1995, 69 patients (31 men, 38 women; age range, 38 to 76 years) underwent diagnosis and/or treatment of malignant effusions; these included 46 pleural biopsies, 34 talc insufflations, and 16 limited decortications. There was no mortality and there were no intraoperative complications. Postoperative complications occurred in seven patients (10%). Specific histologic diagnoses were obtained in all but 6 patients (87%). Malignant effusion was confirmed in 25 of 46 cases (54%). Thoracoscopic talc insufflation with or without additional decortication was successful in 32 of 34 cases (94%) in controlling recurrence of effusion after a mean follow-up of 6 months among the survivors (22 patients died during the follow-up period without effusion reaccumulation). We conclude that VATS not only provides an accurate diagnosis but also allows effective therapeutic procedures to be performed for malignant effusions that are associated with an acceptable morbidity.

Adult↗

An unusual pleural effusion.

Transudative pleural effusions usually result from systemic disorders such as congestive heart failure, hypoproteinaemic states and pneumonia. We report a patient who illustrates a rarely considered local mechanism of transudate formation.

Aged↗

Polymerase chain reaction of pleural biopsy is a rapid and sensitive method for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pleural effusion occurs in 30% of patients with tuberculosis (TB). Rapid diagnosis of a tuberculous pleural effusion would greatly facilitate the management of many patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pleural fluid with highly variable sensitivity. OBJECTIVE: To improve our laboratory diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion. METHODS: We applied PCR to detect DNA specific for M tuberculosis in 33 of the studied pleural biopsy specimens using an IS986-based primer that was specific for mycobacterium complex, and compared it to the results of pleural fluid and biopsy cultures performed on either Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium or BACTEC 12B liquid medium (Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems; Cockeysville, MD), Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, and histopathology in 45 patients with pleural effusion. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients with pleural effusion who were studied, 26 patients received diagnoses of tuberculous pleural effusion that had been confirmed by either culture and or histopathology, 10 patients received diagnoses of exudative effusion due to causes other than TB, and 9 patients received diagnoses of transudative effusion. Histopathology of the pleural biopsy specimen had a sensitivity of 53.8%. The sensitivity of the ZN staining of pleural fluid and biopsy specimens was 0.0% and 3.8%, respectively. The sensitivity of the culture on both BACTEC 12B liquid medium and LJ medium was higher in pleural biopsy specimens (92.3%) than in pleural fluid specimens (15.4%; p > 0.001). The improvements of the BACTEC culture system improved and shortened the detection time of M tuberculosis in pleural biopsy specimens. PCR of pleural biopsy specimens had 90% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value for pleural biopsy specimen cultures were 100% and 90.5% vs 100% and 86.7% for pleural biopsy specimen PCRs. CONCLUSION: The overall accuracy of PCR of pleural biopsy was similar to the results of pleural biopsy culture, however, PCR of the pleural biopsy was much faster in reaching diagnosis. PCR of pleural biopsy is a useful method when used in combination with the BACTEC culture system and histopathologic examination of pleural biopsy to reach a rapid diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.

Adult↗

Pleural involvement in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia associated with a T-cell-rich "reactive" pleural effusion.

Because pleural involvement by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is virtually impossible to distinguish from inflammatory disorders using cytologic or histopathologic methods, many investigators have relied on immunologic studies of mononuclear cells isolated from lymphocytic pleural effusions to make the distinction. A patient with B-cell CLL is reported in whom pleural involvement was documented using the frozen-section immunoperoxidase technique on a pleural biopsy even though cells isolated from the associated effusion showed only a small polyclonal B-cell population and a predominance of T cells. No other cause for this "reactive" effusion could be identified. The implications of this previously unreported finding of pleural B-cell CLL infiltration associated with a reactive effusion are discussed.

B-Lymphocytes↗