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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2005; 53(4): 245-249
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837646
Original Thoracic

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Lung Function in Patients Operated for Chronic Pleural Empyema

W. Rzyman1 , J. Skokowski1 , G. Romanowicz2 , P. Lass2 , M. Murawski1 , M. Taraszewska3 , R. Dziadziuszko4
  • 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
  • 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
  • 3Department of Radiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
  • 4Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
Further Information

Publication History

Received December 9, 2004

Publication Date:
22 July 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate lung function after lung decortication in patients operated for chronic pleural empyema. Methods and Materials: To determine the lung function after lung decortication in 20 men (71.4 %) and 8 women (28.6 %) a prospective evaluation of blood gases, spirometry, lung perfusion, ventilation, and alveolar permeability were performed 28 weeks (15 - 60 weeks) after the operation. Results: Median lung perfusion on the affected side was 45.2 % (26.1 - 55.3 %) in 13 right and 36 % (13.8 - 47.2 %) in 15 left empyemas, and was within normal limits in 4/28 cases. The mean lung ventilation was 44.4 % (21.5 - 54 %) and 37 % (18.9 - 50.6 %) in patients affected on the right or left side, respectively. Ventilation perfusion inequality occurred in 22 patients (78.6 %). Dynamic ventilation scintigraphy revealed impairment of epithelial integrity in 10 cases (35.7 %). Individual analysis revealed that 15 patients (53.6 %) showed a severe reduction in one of the examinations and 8 (28.6 %) in more than one. Conclusions: Although the separate analysis of the different functional parameters revealed a mild reduction of lung function after decortication, in the majority of patients the impairment was more severe due to multilevel functional lung damage.

Key words

Chronic pleural empyema - lung function - lung decortication - scintigraphy

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M.D. Ph.D. Witold Rzyman

Thoracic Surgery Department
Medical University of Gdansk

Ul. Dębinki 7

80-211Gdansk

Poland

Phone: + 48583492400

Fax: + 48 5 83 49 24 29

Email: wrzyman@amg.gda.pl