THE ROLE OF SURGERY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF UNILATERAL PLEURAL EFFUSION
Authors: T B FERGUSON, T H BURFORD
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1959)

Article1 April 1959THE ROLE OF SURGERY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF UNILATERAL PLEURAL EFFUSIONTHOMAS B. FERGUSON, M.D., THOMAS H. BURFORD, M.D.THOMAS B. FERGUSON, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, THOMAS H. BURFORD, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-50-4-981 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe three most common causes of a persistent unilateral pleural effusion are tuberculosis, metastatic carcinoma and heart failure, although a variety of other disease processes can give rise to fluid collections.1, 2Determination of the etiology of such an effusion may at times be quite difficult. It is a frequent experience to find that, even after a general medical survey and complete cytologic and bacteriologic studies have been done, there still remain a number of cases in which a specific diagnosis is lacking. If the patient is a young adult and the fluid serous in nature, an empiric diagnosis of...Bibliography1. SahnLeichtlingBass SHMHE: The significance of pleural effusion in patients past the age of fifty, New England J. Med. 246: 927, 1952. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Peterson JE: The management of pleurisy with serous effusion, M. Arts and Sc. 8: 80, 1954. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Rossing RG: Idiopathic pleural effusion, Minnesota Med. 38: 613, 1955. MedlineGoogle Scholar4. HellerKellowChomet PWFB: Needle biopsy of the parietal pleura, New England J. Med. 255: 684, 1956. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. DeFrancisKloskAlbano NEE: Needle biopsy of the parietal pleura: preliminary report, New England J. Med. 252: 948, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. KatzDonohoeMathews SRMJ: Needle aspiration biopsy of pleura in diagnosis of pleural effusion, Presented at the 15th Veterans Administration Conference on the Chemotherapy of Tuberculosis, St. Louis, Mo., February , 1956. Google Scholar7. Lloyd MS: Thoracoscopy and biopsy in the diagnosis of pleurisy with effusion, Quart. Bull., Sea View Hosp. 14: 128, 1953. MedlineGoogle Scholar8. KlassenAnlyanCurtis KPAJG: Biopsy of acute pulmonary lesions, Arch. Surg. 59: 694, 1949. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. SmallLandman MJM: Etiological diagnosis of pleural effusion by pleural biopsy, J. A. M. A. 158: 907, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. SutliffHughesRice WDFML: Pleural biopsy, Dis. of Chest 26: 551, 1954. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. BrecklerHoffmanHillHenslerHukill IAMCHENMPB: Pleural biopsy, New England J. Med. 255: 690, 1956. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. BurfordParkerSamson THEFPC: Early pulmonary decortication in the treatment of posttraumatic empyema, Ann. Surg. 122: 163, 1945. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. SamsonBurford PCTH: Total pulmonary decortication, J. Thoracic Surg. 16: 127, 1947. CrossrefGoogle Scholar14. RileyKaunitz AOVH: Simultaneous decortication and resection in unsuccessful pneumothorax, J. Thoracic Surg. 22: 341, 1951. CrossrefGoogle Scholar15. WatermanDommRogers DHSEWK: A clinical evaluation of decortication, J. Thoracic Surg. 33: 1, 1957. CrossrefGoogle Scholar16. Gaensler EA: Parietal pleurectomy for recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, Surg., Gynec. and Obst. 102: 293, 1956. MedlineGoogle Scholar17. Kemler RL: Discussion of Waterman, D. H., Domm, S. E., and Rogers, W. K.15 Google Scholar18. Samson PC: Discussion of Waterman, D. H., Domm, S. E., and Rogers, W. K.15 Google Scholar19. Mitchell RS: Late results of the treatment of primary tuberculous pleurisy with effusion with modified bed rest, Am. Rev. Tuberc. 67: 421, 1953. MedlineGoogle Scholar20. Sibley JC: A study of 200 cases of tuberculous pleurisy with effusion, Am. Rev. Tuberc. 62: 314, 1950. MedlineGoogle Scholar21. SteadEichenholzStauss WWAHK: Operative and pathologic findings in 24 patients with syndrome of idiopathic pleurisy with effusion, presumably tuberculous, Am. Rev. Tuberc. 71: 473, 1955. MedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: St. Louis, Missouri*Received for publication August 4, 1958.From the Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, and the Chest Service of the Barnes and Allied Hospitals, St. Louis, Missouri.Requests for reprints should be addressed to Thomas H. Burford, M.D., Chest Service, Barnes Hospital, South Kingshighway, St. Louis, Missouri. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byTratamiento del derrame pleural malignoMalignant effusions: Diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic strategy 1 April 1959Volume 50, Issue 4Page: 981-998KeywordsEtiologyHeart diseasesHeart failureHospital medicineInflammationPleural effusionSurgeryThoraxTuberculosisYoung adults ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1959 PDF downloadLoading ...