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Diseases of the Pleura

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Fundamentals of Pediatric Surgery

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Abstract

Abnormalities affecting the pediatric pleural cavity include pneumothorax, empyema, chylothorax, and hemothorax. Although all of these have been recognized since antiquity, changes in management over the past 5–10 years have been dramatic for most. Many of these improvements in treatment derive from a global surgical shift towards an evidence-based approach. Randomized trials have led to most (well over 90%) children with empyema being successfully managed with drainage and fibrinolytics and modifications of the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Interventional radiology has altered the algorithm for the management of chylothorax with thoracic duct embolization. Nevertheless, there are still wide variations in care and residual controversy about how these problems are managed. Even when a treatment algorithm is agreed upon, the timing of the steps may vary considerably. This chapter attempts to document the current state of the art in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric pleural disease while recognizing that it is a snapshot in time.

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Further Reading

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Surgery, Children’s Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri at Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Charles L. Snyder

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  1. Charles L. Snyder
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Correspondence to Charles L. Snyder .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Peter Mattei

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Snyder, C.L. (2022). Diseases of the Pleura. In: Mattei, P. (eds) Fundamentals of Pediatric Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07524-7_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07524-7_41

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-07523-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-07524-7

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