Competence in pleural procedures

Diseases of the pleura and pleural space are common and present a significant contribution to the workload of respiratory physicians, with most cases resulting from congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and cancer. Although the radiographic and ultrasonographic detection of pleural abnormalities may be obvious, the determination of a specific diagnosis can often represent a challenge. Invasive procedures such as pleural drainage, ultrasound/CT-guided pleural biopsy or medical thoracoscopy can be useful in determining specific diagnosis of pleural diseases. Management of primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is mandatory in an interventional pulmonology training program, while the medical or surgical treatment of the recurrence is still a matter of discussion. Pleural drainage is a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure used in the treatment of pneumothorax and pleural effusions of different etiologies and even in palliation of symptomatic in malignant pleural effusion. Medical thoracoscopy (MT) is a minimally invasive procedure aimed at inspecting the pleural space. It could be a diagnostic procedure in pleural effusions (suspected malignant pleural effusion, infective pleural disease such as empyema or tuberculosis) or therapeutic procedure (chemical pleurodesis or opening of loculation in empyema). Diagnostic yield is 95% in patients with pleural malignancies and higher in pleural tuberculosis. In parapneumonic complex effusion, MT obviates the need for surgery in most cases. Thoracoscopy training should be considered being as important as bronchoscopy training for interventional pulmonology, although prior acquisition of ultrasonography and chest tube insertion skills is essential.