Thoracoscopy in diagnosis and treatment of pleural diseases in children / 中华儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the value of thoracoscopy in diagnosis and treatment of pleural diseases in children.@*Method@#Clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of 19 patients who had refractory pleural diseases treated with thoracosocy during May 2011 to August 2016 in Hunan Provincial People′s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. In 19 cases, 15 were male and 4 were female, with an average age of (4.8±2.0) years. Thirteen patients had left pleural lesion, while 5 patients had right lesion, and 1 had bilateral lesions.@*Result@#All cases were successfully treated with thoracoscopy without emergent thoracotomy. Pre- and post operative diagnosis was compatible in 10 cases, including 8 cases of empyema (Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in 6 cases, and Staphylococcus Aureus infection in 2 cases), and 2 cases of tuberculous pleuritis. Nine patients who had not been clearly diagnosed before surgery were diagnosed to be empyema (4 case), tuberculous pleuritic (3 cases), mycoplasma infection (1 case), and foreign body with infection (1 case) by thoracoscopy. The average duration of post-op closed thoracic drainage was (4.7±2.3) days. The average time to get normal temperature was (2.4±2.6) days. And the average length of hospital stay was (6.7±1.8) days. No hemothorax, chylothorax, or need for analgesic occurred.@*Conclusion@#Thoracoscopy can be recommended for diagnosis and treatment of refractory pleural lesions diseases in children, with minimal trauma and complications.