Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Pleurodesis
Pleurodesis (PLOOR-oh-DEE-sis)
A medical procedure that uses chemicals or drugs to cause inflammation and adhesion between the layers of the pleura (a thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior wall of the chest cavity). This prevents the buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity. It is used as a treatment for severe pleural effusion.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.