Indwelling pleural catheter for malignant pleural effusion with persistent air leak

Boon Hau Ng; Andrea Yu-Lin Ban; Hsueh Jing Low; Mohamed Faisal

doi:10.1136/bcr-2021-248574

Indwelling pleural catheter for malignant pleural effusion with persistent air leak

BMJ Case Rep. 2022 Aug 19;15(8):e248574. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-248574.

Authors

Boon Hau Ng¹, Andrea Yu-Lin Ban², Hsueh Jing Low³, Mohamed Faisal¹

Affiliations

¹ Respiratory Unit, Department of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
² Respiratory Unit, Department of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia andreaban@gmail.com.
³ Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract

Malignant pleural effusion with persistent air leak (PAL) is a rare manifestation of lung malignancy. We present a woman in her 50s with postpleuroscopy PAL. Pleural biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma with detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in exon 19. An indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) was inserted and connected to an Atrium Express Mini ambulatory drain. This procedure reduced the length of hospital stay. Autopleurodesis with resolution of PAL occurred at week 3 of IPC insertion.

Keywords: Cancer intervention; Pneumothorax.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Catheterization
Catheters, Indwelling
Drainage / methods
Female
Humans
Pleural Effusion, Malignant* / etiology
Pleural Effusion, Malignant* / therapy
Pleurodesis / methods