Pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusions: a randomized study of tetracycline versus bleomycin.

Malignant pleural effusions are commonly managed with tube thoracostomy drainage followed by chemical pleurodesis. Both tetracycline and bleomycin have been shown to be effective for intrapleural instillation, although neither agent has definitively proved advantages over the other. The aim of the present study was to compare these two agents in terms of response rate and toxicity profile.

Chylothorax complicating a thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Chylothorax is an uncommon condition, usually associated with advanced malignant disease or trauma to the thoracic duct. Idiopathic chylothorax and other diverse causes have been anecdotally reported. We describe a rare case of chylothorax, developing as a result of damage to the thoracic duct by a thoracic aortic aneurysm.

[Right ventricular thrombosis and pulmonary thrombosis associated with venous-peritoneal diversion (Le Veen). Diagnosis with transesophageal echocardiography].

Central venous thrombosis (CVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are complications that have been reported in association with the use of venous-peritoneal shunts (Le Veen). CVT usually develops around the proximal end of the catheter; the clinical course is varied and usually requires venous imaging to confirm the diagnosis. We present a case of CVT associated with PE, in which the thrombus was located in the right ventricular cavity (distal to the catheter tip).

Influence of cardiopulmonary disease on resolution of pulmonary embolism. A mathematical model to predict remaining defects at six months.

Recovery of lung perfusion after pulmonary embolism (PE) is conditioned by several factors. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences of reperfusion after PE between patients with and without preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, and to develop a mathematical model to predict, at diagnosis, the size of defects in lung perfusion scan at 6 months after treatment. We included 83 patients with diagnosis of PE in a non-concurrent cohort study (cohort I: 26 with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, and cohort II: 57 without previous cardiopulmonary disease).

[The clinical characteristics of pleural tuberculosis in patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection].

Objective: To determine whether or not there are differences in the characteristics of pleural tuberculosis (PT) related to whether patients are or are not infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the medical histories of patients diagnosed of PT in our hospital between 1986 and 1993.

Results: We found no significant differences in the proportions of tuberculosis patients with or without HIV infection (8% versus 11%) who were diagnosed of PT.

Parapneumonic effusions secondary to community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the clinical and microbiological characteristics of parapneumonic effusions in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were different from those observed in patients without HIV infection. One hundred and thirty seven patients with parapneumonic effusions were included and divided into two groups depending on whether they had HIV infection or not. The parapneumonic effusion rate was significantly higher in HIV-positive than in noninfected patients (21 vs 13%).

[Pleural thickening in tuberculous pleural effusion. The associated factors].

We aimed to determine which factors were related to the development of residual pleural thickening (RPT) after completion of prescribed treatment. Sixty-two patients with pleural tuberculosis (PTB) were assigned to 2 groups according to the presence or absence of RPT > 2 mm in the side and lower portion of a chest film after completion of prescribed treatment. No patient had been given corticoids.

Pleural cholesterol in differentiating transudates and exudates. A prospective study of 232 cases.

Two hundred and four patients with pleural effusion were studied to investigate the utility of Light's criteria and pleural fluid cholesterol level (pCHOL) in the identification of exudative pleural effusion (EPE) and transudative pleural effusion (TPE). There were 48 TPE, 56 tumor, 47 tuberculous, 30 metapneumonic and 23 miscellaneous patients. A value > or = 54 mg/dl for pCHOL and > or = 0.