1. Is thoracic CT adequate for diagnosis and differential diagnosis in patients with pleural thickening?
- Author
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Katrancioglu, Ozgur, Sahinoglu, Tuba, Karakus, Kayhan, Kandemir, Ozan, Urvay, Semiha, Karakaya, Esra Aydin, and Katrancioglu, Nurkay
- Subjects
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PLEURISY , *CHRONIC granulomatous disease , *MESOTHELIOMA , *DIFFERENTIAL diagnosis , *THORACIC surgery , *DIAGNOSIS - Abstract
Objective: Lung pathologies associated with pleural thickening are presented along with similar clinical and radiological findings. The present study highlights the importance of the differential diagnosis verification of patients with pleural thickening. Video-assisted thoracoscophic surgery (VATS) is one of the most common diagnostic and therapeutic method used for this purpose. In this study, we aim to deliver our clinical investigation results on patients diagnosed with pleural pathology in the light of recent literature. Method: In this study, data of 40 patients that were applied single-port VATS pleural biopsy in our clinic between May 2012 and June 2014 were retrospectively assessed. Thoracic CT and pathology results were compared. Clinical diagnosis, radiologic findings, and biopsy results were evaluated retrospectively. Results: The average age of the patients is 59.15 ±12.13 (age range 23, 82). There was an environmental exposure to asbestos in 14 patients (35%). Twenty-five patients (62.5%) were followed-up with the diagnosis of mesothelioma with clinical and radiological findings, 8 patients (20%) of tuberculosis, 4 patients (10%) of pleural metastasis and 3 patients (7.5 %) of pleuritis. Histopathologically 8 patients (20%) were diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, 1 patient (2.5 %) was localized fibrous tumor, 2 patients were (5%) diagnosed with reactive mesothelial hyperplasia, 6 patients (15%) were malignant epithelial tumor metastasis, 16 patients (40%) were fibrinous pleuritis, 6 patients (15%) were chronic granulomatous inflammation, and 1 patient (2.5%) was chronic lymphocytic inflammation. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates insufficiency of thoracic CT for diagnosis and differential diagnosis due to similar clinical and radiological findings associated with pathological pleural thickening. Histopathologic examination is required for diagnosis. However, thoracic CT is still a method of radiographic imaging that is actively used in determination of pleural biopsy position, evaluation, and clinical monitoring of response to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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