The authors present their initial clinical experience with the use of autofluorescence videothoracoscopy in diagnostics of pleural disorders. The study used Richard Wolf DAFE fluorescence endoscopy system. Preliminary results show that autofluoresence imaging is more precise in locating the pathology, which improved the diagnostic yield of videothoracoscopy in pleural disorders. The resulting indirect autofluorescence image depicts healthy tissues in a white-green colour, while tissues with a roughened surface, resulting from hyperplastic inflammatory processes (pachypleura, adhesions) and tumorous or dysplastic processes, are depicted as vivid blue high-density foci.

        Key words: videothoracoscopy – autofluorescence – pleural effusion