Lung cancer and pleural effusion. Clinical significance and study of pleural metastatic locations.

We reviewed results of 78 diagnostic thoracoscopic examinations of patients with lung cancer and homolateral pleural effusion. The study stresses the main locations of pleural metastasis in cases of lung cancer and correlates these data with the pleural spread from extrathoracic primary neoplasms. Also pointed out is the operability of the present series and the different behavior in pleural metastatic spread according to the histologic type with correlation between gross appearance of the effusion and the cytology.