Flexi-Rigid Thoracoscopy

In routine clinical practice, pulmonologists are frequently required to evaluate patients with pleural effusions. For diagnosis, conventional methods such as thoracentesis and closed pleural biopsy are often performed first. However, approximately 20–25 % of pleural effusions remain undiagnosed (Boutin et al. 1993; Loddenkemper 1998) and medical thoracoscopy should then be performed.