Role of open lung biopsy in patients with diffuse lung infiltrates and acute respiratory failure.

Background And Purpose: Open lung biopsy (OLB) is the standard procedure for the diagnosis of specific parenchymal lung diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of OLB on subsequent treatment strategy and outcome in patients with diffuse lung infiltrates and acute respiratory failure.

Methods: This retrospective review included 32 patients (aged 50.

Echogenic swirling pattern as a predictor of malignant pleural effusions in patients with malignancies.

Objectives: Chest ultrasonography is a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of pleural effusions of different etiologies. Our purpose was to determine whether the echogenic swirling pattern identifiable on real-time chest ultrasonographic images is a predictor of malignant pleural effusions in patients with malignancies.

Design: Medical records of patients undergoing chest ultrasonography in the Tri-Service General Hospital (Taiwan) between January 2000 and December 2002 were reviewed retrospectively.