Two patients with local complications of plombage were treated by removal of the plomb and decortication at a single operation. This provided immediate re-expansion of the lung and avoided the need for thoracoplasty.

Empyema remains a challenge for modern medicine. Cases not amenable to lung decortication are particularly difficult to treat, requiring prolonged hospitalizations and mutilating procedures. This paper presents the current role of thoracomyoplasty procedures, which allow complete and definitive obliteration of the infected pleural space by a combination of thoracoplasty and the use of neighbour...

PURPOSE To assess the efficacy of percutaneous unroofing in the treatment of simple renal cysts instead of laparoscopic decortication and open surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS From November 2009 to October 2010 at our department, 11 patients with 12 simple cyst units were managed by percutaneous unroofing. All cysts were evaluated with ultrasonography and abdominal computed tomography. If the...

Video assisted thoracic surgery in advanced stage postpneumonic empyema aims for thorough debridement and washout of the pleural space followed by an attempt to release the entrapped lung (decortication). When the latter isn’t successful, and the patient is in a poor performance status, applying tube thoracostomy is the usual routine, to avoid conversion to thoracotomy and open decortication. T...

Pleural sepsis in children is common in most developing countries. It may present as total pyothorax, pyopneumothorax, or localised thoracic empyema. In most cases, it follows an attack of bronchopneumonia, but other debilitating conditions such as measles, malnutrition, and sickle cell anaemia form part of the clinical syndrome. In a review of 60 cases of pleural sepsis in children aged betwee...