General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Mar 2021
Complete pleural symphysis is predicted by a blunted costophrenic angle.
Complete pleural symphysis from adhesions is a troublesome intraoperative finding. A blunted costophrenic angle without pleural effusion is an indicator of prior pleural disease; however, the diagnostic accuracy of blunted costophrenic angles for complete pleural symphysis is unclear. This study to determine whether complete pleural symphysis is predicted by the finding of a blunted costophrenic angle. ⋯ Complete pleural symphysis was predicted by a blunted costophrenic angle with moderate sensitivity and high specificity, accuracy, and positive likelihood ratio. Evaluation of the costophrenic angle could, therefore, be an efficient, simple, and convenient screening tool.