Percutaneous needle pleural biopsy in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions in Bahia state, Brazil: an histopathological analysis of 511 cases / Biópsia pleural por agulha no diagnóstico diferencial de derrames pleurais no Estado da Bahia, Brazil: uma análise histopatológica de 511 casos

An experience with blind closed biopsy of the parietal pleura, using the Cope needle in 511 patients with pleural effusions is presented. Pleural tissue was obtained in 87, 7 per cent of the biopsy specimens. No complications occurred which required active intervention. The histopathological findings in this retrospective study were consistent with specific tuberculosis (46, 3 per cent), non-specific inflammatory process (32,5 per cent) and metatatic neoplasms (8,4 per cent) The importance of pleural biopsy to define the etiology of pleural effusions was evident