Pleurodesis
Definition
Pleurodesis is the adherence of the outer surface of a lung to the membrane surrounding that lung, which is performed to treat the buildup of fluid around the lung.
Purpose
The pleural space is the region between the outer surface of each lung (visceral pleurae) and the membrane that surrounds each lung (parietal pleurae). Under normal conditions, the pleurae are kept wet with pleural fluid to allow movement of the lungs within the chest. Pleural effusion, the accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, is most commonly caused by cancer. Pleurodesis causes the pleurae to stick together, thereby eliminating the pleural...
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