الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Study Objectives: Evaluation of the role of (MT) in the diagnosis of pleural malignancies. This work is planned to perform (MT) in the following situations: Patients with exudative pleural effusion whom thoracocentesis and CPB have failed to establish a diagnosis and patients with exudative pleural effusion, when these procedures have established a diagnosis of pleural malignancies.
Methods: In this study 30 patients were enrolled, characterized by having exudative pleural effusions based on plain x-ray chest utilizing both postero anterior and lateral projection and biochemical examination. 17 of them were males and 13 were females with age ranged from 32–78 years. Thoracocentesis, pleural biopsy at least twice, thoracoscopic examination and biopsy were done for all patients and open lung biopsy was done for one patient.
RESULTS: Among the fifteen patients of group I medical thoracoscopy established a precise diagnosis in 11 patients (73.3%), revealing a metastatic malignancy in 8 cases (53.3%), MM in one case (6.7%), pleural tuberculosis in 2 cases (13.3%). The remaining 4 cases remained undiagnosed after MT (complicated parapneumonic effusion).
In group II, MT confirmed the diagnosis established by thoracocentesis& CPB in 12 cases (80%), MT challenged the diagnosis in our study in 3 cases (20%).
CONCLUSIONS: medical thoracoscopy is a safe procedure and could be applied to a variety of indications especially in undiagnosed EPE after thoracocentesis and closed pleural biopsy. MT is the gold standard for diagnosis of MM whether diagnosed by thoracocentesis or CPB or clinically suspected without histopathological diagnosis.