Trial reportMedical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research2018
Ultrasound-Guided versus Thoracoscopic Pleural Biopsy for Diagnosing Tuberculous Pleurisy Following Inconclusive Thoracentesis: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.
Trial report in Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diagnostic performance and safety of image-guided pleural biopsy and medical thoracoscopy for undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Pooled it
- Article
- Utility of cell-free DNA in diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.PloS one · 2026Article
- Comparative diagnostic efficacy of ultrasound-guided, medical thoracoscopic, and blind pleural biopsy in tuberculous pleurisy.Journal of thoracic disease · 2025Article
- Ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy following a non-diagnostic thoracentesis for non-small cell lung cancer.Respiratory medicine case reports · 2023Article
- Chest Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: The Complementary Role of Thoraci Ultrasound.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Article
- Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy of Peripheral Pulmonary Nodules ≤ 2 cm: Diagnostic Performance, Safety and Influence Factors.Frontiers in oncology · 2021Article
- Comparative efficacy and complications of Transthoracic Ultrasound guided Pleural biopsy versus Medical thoracoscopic Pleural biopsy in Undiagnosed Exudative Pleural Effusion: Experience from a Tertiary Care Institute of Eastern India.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical AssociationReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional diagnostic methods for tuberculosis (TB) cannot be reliably applied to tuberculous pleurisy. Therefore, this prospective, randomized, controlled trial was performed to compare the diagnostic sensitivity and safety of ultrasound-guided cutting-needle pleural biopsy versus thoracoscopic pleural biopsy in patients suspected of tuberculous pleurisy following inconclusive thoracentesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 196 adult patients with acid-fast bacillus (AFB)-negative exudative pleural effusions clinically suspected of tuberculous pleurisy were recruited. Enrollees were randomized into 2 cohorts: ultrasound-guided cutting-needle pleural biopsy (n=96) or thoracoscopic pleural biopsy (n=96). The overall diagnostic yields, diagnostic sensitivities for tuberculous pleurisy, and post-procedural complications for both cohorts were statistically compared. RESULTS Ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy displayed an overall diagnostic yield of 83%, while thorascopic pleural biopsy displayed a similar overall diagnostic yield of 86% (χ²=1.88, df=1, p=0.17). There were 127 patients conclusively diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy, resulting in a tuberculous pleurisy prevalence of 65% in this patient population (66% in the ultrasound cohort vs. 63% in the thoracoscopy cohort; p>0.05). Ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy displayed a sensitivity of 82% in detecting tuberculous pleurisy, while thorascopic pleural biopsy displayed a similar sensitivity of 90% (χ²=1.05, df=1, p=0.30). The sensitivities of these 2 modalities did not significantly differ based on the degree of pleural thickening (p>0.05). Post-procedural complications were minor. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound-guided and thoracoscopic pleural biopsy both display strong (>80%) but statistically similar overall diagnostic yields for diagnosing pleural effusions following inconclusive thoracentesis. Both modalities also display strong (>80%) but statistically similar sensitivities in detecting tuberculous pleurisy.
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