Diagnostic thoracoscopy in a patient with a pleural mass.

Thoracoscopy is useful for diagnosing and treating pleural and parenchymal intrathoracic disease. The role of thoracoscopy is especially evident in patients who pose a high risk for thoracotomy. Although used in the past for diagnosis and occasional treatment of pleural adhesions, it is not a frequently used procedure. With double lumen endotracheal tubes for selective collapse of one lung, there seems to be an increasing role for thoracoscopy in diagnosis and management of pleural disease. With the use of new endoscopic linear staples, treatment as well as diagnosis of intrathoracic diseases will be possible in the future.