[Pleural puncture needle biopsy].

Two hundred and thirty patients with pleurisy had pleural biopsy done by Castelain needle. This examination was positive in 85.7% of cases in tuberculous pleurisies and in 50% of cases in neoplastic pleurisies. The yield of needle pleural biopsy is higher in these two cases than in bacteriology and pleural cytology. The low rate of incidents and accidents (5.5%) widens the scope of needle pleural biopsy in non purulent pleurisy.