Introduction: Among the agents used to produce pleural symphysis talc is the most effective and least expensive. However, its use is controversial on account of the description of respiratory complications associated with subsequent systemic spread of the talc particles. This hypothesis rests on clinical and experimental observations of talc particles in the viscera. However, all talc preparations are not identical and this extra-pleural spread could be dependent on particle size. This experimental study was undertaken to determine whether there was systemic spread of a calibrated talc preparation used routinely in clinical practice following intra-pleural administration in rats.
Methods: 48 rats received 20 mg (11 rats) and 40 mg (33 rats) of calibrated talc suspended in 1 ml of physiological saline by intra-pleural injection. The animals were randomised for sacrifice at 24 hours (22 rats) and 72 hours (22 rats) after the injection. The lungs, parietal pleura, diaphragm, liver, spleen, pericardium, brain and blood were examined by light microscopy and polarised light to search for bi-refringent particles.
Results: No deaths occurred during the procedure. At the time of sacrifice no pleural symphysis was seen. In 5 animals some talc particles were seen in the extra-thoracic organs: in the liver in 3 in the spleen in 1 and one particle in the brain of one animal examined by electron microscopy. No talc particles were found in the blood.
Conclusions: Intra-pleural injection of calibrated talc, (Steritalc-Novatech-Plan de Grasse-France) has a weak systemic spread in > small animals. These results may be related to the diameter of the talc particles used (mean 33.6 microns; median 31.3 microns). The hypothesis that systemic spread is influenced by the diameter of the talc particles needs to be supported by experimental studies using talc particles of smaller diameter in order to compare the systemic distribution of the different preparations.