The clinical-radiographic presentation and tuberculosis prediction in patients that have undergone dry pleural biopsy, as well as its usefulness and complications, have been evaluated in this retrospective study, conducted in the Octávio Mangabeira Hospital (Salvador, Bahia, Brazil), where 107 patients consecutively submitted to this exam have been analyzed. Altogether 108 biopsies have been performed using Cope's needle (biopsies of both hemithoraxes were performed in one patient). The following diagnoses were obtained: a) tuberculosis (n = 66); b) probable tuberculosis (n = 4); c) neoplasm (n = 2); d) parapneumonic (n = 3), and e) not determined (32). Sixty-seven (62.6%) of the patients were male, and mean age was 34.5 ± 15.4 years. Analyses carried out compare patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (whether confirmed or probable) to those with different diagnoses (miscellaneous). Tuberculosis patients were younger (p < 0.01), expectoration was less frequent (p < 0.01), previous tuberculosis was less often reported (p = 0.04) and PPD reactivity was more frequent (p < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the two groups as to the extent of pleural commitment and its variation in the period observed. Presence of acinar infiltrations in the upper lobes was correlated with tuberculosis diagnosis in the 13 patients in which this feature was observed. Pleural fragments were present in 100 out of 108 cases (92.6%) and the diagnosis was made in the first biopsy in 64 out of 108 cases (59.3%). Ten minor complications have occurred (9.3%) in the 108 biopsies: 6 bloody sputums, 3 small pneumothoraxes, and one moderate subcutaneous emphysema. The authors conclude that for the various predictive indicators of tuberculosis analyzed, except for the presence of acinar infiltrations in the upper lobes, there is broad overlap between the two groups compared, meaning that a safe clinical diagnosis cannot be provided and thus reinforcing the need of performing biopsies. Dry pleural biopsy offers a satisfactory diagnostic yield in areas with high prevalence of tuberculosis and proved safe, when performed by experienced personnel.

Keywords: Pleural tuberculosis. Pleural thickening. Pleural biopsy. Diagnosis.

For diagnostic purposes of pleural tuberculosis, three pleural fragments are routinely obtained from a single site by needle biopsy. The objective of this study is to compare the diagnostic yield of the routine procedure with two different approaches: harvesting five fragments on a single site (A), and collection of fragments at an additional site (B); from the same cutaneous orifice, the needle was partially removed up to the subcutaneous tissue and redirected at a 45o angle. The authors performed a prospective study in 115 patients submitted to pleural biopsy. The first three pleural fragments were placed in a vial (VA1-3), the 5 subsequent fragments obtained at the same site were placed in a second vial (VA4-8), and the five fragments from the second site were placed in a third vial (VB1-5). Analysis of fragments from VA1-3 revealed granuloma in 72/92 tuberculosis cases (78.3%), whereas in fragments VA5-8 and VB1-5, granuloma was observed in 74/92 cases (80.5%). In 6/92 patients the diagnosis at VA1-3 was non-specific pleuritis, but granuloma was found in VA4-8, resulting in a diagnosis increment of 8.3% (adding six to the 72 patients). In 7/92 patients (7.6%) the histopathological examination at site A led to a non-specific result but granuloma was found at site B, leading to a diagnostic increment of 9.0% (7 to 78 patients). Histological concordance of two examinations by the same pathologist had a kappa index of 0.62 (0.54 to 0.7) whereas concordance between two different pathologists had a kappa index of 0.64 (0.56 to 0.72). The performance of multiple biopsies at two different sites at the pleural surface led to an additional diagnosis of 13 patients, i.e., an increase of 18% (13 to 72) relative to the routine procedure. Considering the low cost increase of obtaining the fragments, adoption of this method is recommended in routine pleural tuberculosis diagnosis.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, pleural tuberculosis, biopsy, diagnosis.