A case of intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis with massive pleural effusion: successful pleurodesis with intrapleural minocycline.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis is a compensatory process for some hematologic diseases, such as spherocytosis, myelofibrosis and thalassemia. We report a 34-year-old man with beta-thalassemia intermedia who developed intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis with recurrent pleural effusion. Diagnosis of extramedullary hematopoiesis of the pleura and soft tissue was established after thoracoscopic biopsy. Subsequently, the pleural effusion was controlled with intrapleural minocycline instillation. To our knowledge, this is the first case of extramedullary hematopoiesis described in the parietal pleura associated with massive pleural effusion and successfully treated with minocycline.