Author Identifier
Bapti Roy: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5296-5360
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Respirology Case Reports
Volume
13
Issue
4
Publisher
Wiley
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Publication Unique Identifier
10.1002/rcr2.70129
Abstract
The British Thoracic Society guidelines recommend a surgical opinion in cases of prolonged air leak or failure of lung re-expansion after 3–5 days. The management of prolonged air leak in non-surgical candidates often proves to be more challenging, with no expert consensus guidelines on treatment options. There is a paucity of data for the treatment of patients with a prolonged air leak in the setting of a hydropneumothorax, who are not suitable surgical candidates. We present the case of a novel treatment approach for an 89-year-old male with a symptomatic, large malignant pleural effusion treated initially with a routine chest tube drainage. Subsequent management was complicated by a hydropneumothorax with a persistent and large volume air leak. He was treated successfully with an autologous blood pleurodesis using an indwelling pleural catheter. Here we describe a novel management approach for persistent air-leak in the setting of a malignant hydropneumothorax. Autologous blood pleurodesis via an indwelling pleural catheter appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for non-surgical candidates and allows ongoing long-term drainage of a malignant effusion and air leak.
DOI
10.1002/rcr2.70129
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Wong, V., Balaguruswamy, S., & Roy, B. (2025). Autologous blood pleurodesis through an indwelling pleural catheter for the management of prolonged air leak in a malignant hydropneumothorax. Respirology Case Reports, 13(4), e70129. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcr2.70129