Letter to the Editor

Talc Pleurodesis for Recurrent Pleural Effusions: Is Cure Worse Than the Actual Insult?

Authors: Misbah Baqir, MD, M Haris U. Usman, MD, Humaira N. Adenwalla, MD

Abstract

A 79-year-old Vietnamese male presented to our facility with shortness of breath. Past medical history was significant for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease. He had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting 3 months earlier, which had been complicated by recurrent exudative pleural effusions. His chest x-ray on this admission revealed a large, left-sided pleural effusion along with a small pneumothorax in the left upper lung zone. He subsequently underwent thorascopic drainage and talc pleurodesis.

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References

1. De Campos JR, Vargas FS, Werebe E, et al. Thoracoscopy talc poudrage: a 15 year experience.Chest 2001;119:801–806.
 
2. Montes JF, Ferrer J, Villarino MA, Baeza B, Crespo M, Garcia-Valero J. Influence of Talc Dose on Extrapleural Talc Dissemination after Talc Pleurodesis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2003Aug 1;168(3):348–55.