Treatment of recurrent pleural effusion by pleurodesis with quinacrine. Comparison between instillation by repeated thoracenteses and by tube drainage.

A total of 121 pleurodeses using instillations of quinacrine (mepacrine) in patients with recurrent pleural effusion were performed. All but three patients suffered from pleural malignancy. A comparison was made between the results achieved by repeated thoracenteses (73 cases) and by simultaneous tube drainage (48 cases). Tube drainage shortened the treatment and lowered the number of painful interventions. There was no difference in the quality of pleurodesis achieved by the two methods. The treatment failed in 12% of patients treated by repeated thoracenteses and in 14% of those treated by tube drainage. Patients with pleurodeses survive longer than non-treated subjects and have a considerably better quality of life.