RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diagnostic value of thoracoscopy on idiopathic coalworker's pneumoconiosis with pleural effusion in general medicine.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Routine (general medicine) thoracoscopyof patients suffering from iIdiopathiccoalworker's pneumoconiosis with pleural effusion, pathological examination of lesions obtained (direct vision).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Pathological examination revealed grayish-white miliary nodules with multiple protruding nodules, irregular focal pleura thickening, pulmonary congestion, edema, fibrous adhesion. Thorascopy produced a diagnostic rate of 93.3%. Confirmed cases includes 13 cases of tuberculous pleurisy, 11 cases of malignant pleural effusion, 4 cases of cardiac insufficiency with pleural effusion and 2 cases of idiopathic pleural effusion, with no serious complications.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Thoracoscopy of idiopathic coalworker's pneumoconiosis with pleural effusion is a safe, accurate diagnostic methodin general medicine, and could benefit the establishment of a treatment method quickly, visual observation of the lesions of patients suffering from coalworker's pneumoconiosis with pleural effusion using thoracoscopy, and at the same time offer preliminary investigationof the correlation between the intensity and compactibilityof coal macule distribution and clinical stages of coalworker's Pneumoconiosis.</p>