الفهرس 
Medical ThoracoscopyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Thoracoscopy is a valuable tool for investigating exaudative pleural effusion, particularly for patients with high probability of malignancy. (72)
Cryobiopsies of the pleura and lung have been used with success during rigid thoracoscopy. There is also an analgesic effect of the cold, which made biopsies painless. The tissue was well preserved, and the risk of hemorrhage seemed to be reduced. (51)
The present study was conducted in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals, it included 30 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion, who underwent diagnostic thoracoscopy.
The aim of this work was to evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of thoracoscopic pleural cryobiopsies.
The mean age among the studied group was 54.10 years old, with 60% of them were males. Most of our patients were living in El-Marg.
The majority of the included patients(30%) in the study had pleural nodules revealed by thoracoscope. A definitive diagnosis was reached in 23 cases out of 30 with diagnostic yield 76.6%.
Fifteen cases (50%) diagnosed as malignancy (mesothelioma 14 cases, 46.7 % and one case metastatic adenocarcionoma of ductal origin 3.3%), followed by tuberculosis 8 cases (26.7%)
In the study group (n=30) we find that cryobiopsy is superior to forceps in thin highly vascular pleura, better size of biopsy than forceps as regard easier peeling and larger biopsy size than forceps in 9 cases 30%,complete nodule extraction in 10 cases 33,3% large punch biopsy 6 cases 6% as forceps biopsy with no added value in highly thick pleura with adhesions 3 cases, 10% of the study group.
No intraoperative complications related to cryobiopsy were recorded 0% complications.
Our conclusion is that cryobiopsy is beneficial in cases of thin highly vascular pleura, allowing easier biopsies with lesser risk of bleeding. In cases of thick fibrosed pleura, both techniques are similar in efficiency, and the diagnostic yield is also similar for both types of biopsies.