Video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization for exacerbation of chronic empyema thoracis.

STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization to treat patients with exacerbation of chronic empyema thoracis.

DESIGN

Case reports and literature review.

SETTING

Academic department of surgery.

PATIENTS: Two elderly, debilitated patients with worsening, chronic empyema thoracis as diagnosed by radiographs, CT, and thoracentesis. Both patients had a history of therapeutic pneumothorax for tuberculosis without bronchopleural fistulas.

INTERVENTIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization of the thoracic cavity.

MEASUREMENTS AND

RESULTS

There was no recurrence of empyema during a 6-year follow-up period for one patient and a 2.5-year follow-up period for the other patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Video-assisted thoracoscopic sterilization is a minimally invasive useful treatment for elderly or debilitated patients with exacerbation of chronic empyema thoracis.