Talc pleurodesis during videothoracoscopy for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia-related pneumothorax. A new technique.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients represents a growing problem for chest physicians. For thoracic surgeons, spontaneous pneumothorax and recurrent or persistent pneumothoraces can complicate this disease, requiring surgical intervention. Minimally invasive videothoracoscopy has now become a standard form of surgery for these patients, and we present a technique of talc insufflation that we believe is safe, simple, cost-effective, and reliable.