Internal-Mammary-Lymph-Node Biopsy as a Diagnostic Aid in Pleural Effusion

Abstract
THE etiology of a pleural effusion can at times be difficult to establish. Pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma are notorious in this regard, and in both diseases it is mandatory that every effort be made to obtain histologic confirmation of the diagnosis. Stead1 states that 50 to 80 per cent of tuberculous effusions are sterile bacteriologically. Donahoe et al.2 report pleural biopsy to be diagnostic in 30 to 70 per cent of cases with effusion. Internal-mammary-lymph-node biopsy was evaluated as an alternative method for obtaining a histologic diagnosis in cases with pleural effusion. This report concerns its use in 37 . . .

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