THE EXPLORATORY thoracotomy is being employed with increasing frequency in cases of disease of the chest in which the usual routine examinations fail to establish a diagnosis. This serves to stimulate interest in thoracic tumors, practicularly those tumors which if recognized early can be subjected to surgical extirpation with excellent chances for a cure. Prominent in such a group are the localized fibroblastic tumors of the pleura of which the following case is illustrative.
REPORT OF A CASE
J. P., a 55 year old Negro man, entered the hospital Aug. 8, 1946, complaining of edema of the ankles for the previous four years and dyspnea and palpitation on exertion for the previous six months. He also had abdominal discomfort and flatulence. He had been taking digitalis under direction of a private physician. He had a cough, productive of frothy sputum, usually worse at night. There was no history of pain