In Practice

The current aetiology of malignant pleural effusion in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

C F N Koegelenberg, S M Bennji, E Boer, P T Schubert, J A Shaw, B W Allwood, E M Irusen

Abstract


Background. Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) represents a very common cause of pleural exudates, and is one of the most challenging pleural disorders to manage. This could be attributed to the paucity of high-quality experimental evidence, and inconsistent practice worldwide. South Africa (SA) currently has no data regarding the aetiology of MPE.

Objectives. To identify the most common malignancies causing MPE in a population served by a large tertiary hospital in SA, and specifically the relative contribution of mesothelioma. A secondary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of chemical pleurodesis in a subset of patients.

Methods. We retrospectively included all known cases of MPE evaluated at our institution over a 3-year period with a tissue diagnosis of MPE.

Results. The most common causes of MPE in a total of 274 patients were lung cancer (n=174, 63.5%), breast cancer (n=32, 11.7%), unknown primary (n=22, 11.7%) and mesothelioma (n=27, 9.9%). Talc pleurodesis was performed in 81 of 194 patients (41.8%) referred to our division, and was radiologically successful in 22 of 25 (88.0%) followed up to 3 months.

Conclusions. The main cause of MPE in our setting was lung cancer, followed by breast cancer, unknown primary and mesothelioma. Chemical pleurodesis was a viable palliative measure for MPE in this population.


Authors' affiliations

C F N Koegelenberg, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

S M Bennji, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

E Boer, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

P T Schubert, Division of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, National Health Laboratory Service and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa

J A Shaw, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

B W Allwood, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

E M Irusen, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

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Keywords

Malignant pleural effusion; Lung cancer; Mesothelioma

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2018;108(4):275-277. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2018.v108i4.12936

Article History

Date submitted: 2018-03-28
Date published: 2018-03-28

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