Clinical Research Directory

The Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Value of FAPI PET in Pleural Mesothelioma

Seventy (N=70) patients with suspected pleural mesothelioma (PM) lesions referred to pleural biopsy will be recruited, and undergo an additional FAPI PET/CT at primary staging. The FAPI PET/CT results will be compared to conventional imaging (including FDG PET/CT). The diagnostic accuracy will be determined with histopathology as reference standard. For patients undergoing anticancer treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, other treatment), an additional FAPI PET/CT and an additional FDG PET/CT will be conducted after the study subjects have completed 2-3 series of anticancer treatment. The feasabilitiy of FAPI PET/CT in response evaluation will be investigated. All study specific analyzes will be blinded and will not influence the patient management / treatment.

Evaluating the Use of an App in Pleural Disease: Algorithm-supported Clinical Decision Making Versus Usual Care

Pleural disease is a group of conditions that affect the membrane around the lungs. These conditions-fluid around the lungs, infections, cancer, and collapsed lung-are common and can cause serious illness. They often lead to long hospital stays, emergency admissions, and reduced quality of life. In Denmark and worldwide, the number of patients with pleural disease is rising, and the treatment is costly for the healthcare system. How long patients stay in the hospital depends on the type of pleural disease. Some stay less than a week, while others remain for several weeks, especially if complications occur. Research shows that early diagnosis and treatment based on clinical guidelines can shorten hospital stays and improve outcomes. In the UK, many hospitals have created dedicated pleural clinics run by specialists. These clinics help ensure that patients receive fast, consistent, and evidence based care, and they have reduced the number of days patients spend in hospital. In Denmark, however, such clinics are rare. A recent national survey showed that many Danish hospitals do not follow current pleural disease guidelines, and many lack clear pathways for diagnosing and treating these patients. As a result, patients may receive suboptimal care. This project aims to close that gap. The goal is to develop an easy to use, guideline based decision tool that supports doctors in emergency, medical, and surgical departments. The tool will guide clinicians from the moment a patient arrives until discharge, helping them choose the right tests and treatments at the right time. By making expert knowledge accessible to non specialists, the project hopes to improve patient care, reduce complications, and shorten hospital stays. Ultimately, the project seeks to ensure that all patients with pleural disease in Denmark receive fast, safe, and evidence based treatment-no matter where they are admitted.

Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy Guided Medical Thoracoscopy for the Diagnosis of Pleural Disease

A prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thoracoscopic biopsy guided by confocal optical real-time microscopic imaging (nCLE) in the diagnosis of fibrinal pleurisy of unknown etiology. Patients with fibrinous pleurisy of unknown etiology who were to undergo thoracoscopic pleural biopsy were enrolled and informed consent was signed. Subjects were randomized to either the nCLE guided biopsy Group (Group A) or the visual biopsy group (Group B) according to the randomization table (1:1 ratio). nCLE was used to probe the benign and malignant status of pleural lesions, compare the consistency of random pathological biopsy or nCLE guided biopsy with histopathological results, compare whether nCLE guided biopsy can reduce the number of thoracoscopic biopsies, and follow up short-term postoperative complications to evaluate its safety.

Thoracoscopic Pleural Biopsy in Sohag University Hospital

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes of thoracoscopic pleural biopsy in the management of pleural diseases.

Dual-function Semirigid Thoracoscopy Versus Semirigid Thoracoscopy for the Diagnosis of Pleural Diseases: A Multicenter Open-label Randomized Controlled Trial

We designed and developed a novel dual-function semirigid thoracoscope (UE FET-680; UE Corporation, Zhejiang, China) with a straight channel adapted to flexible and rigid forceps for pleural biopsy. Our preclinical trial has proven that the dual-function semirigid thoracoscope has larger and deeper sampling while retaining the entire thoracic accessibility and flexible bronchoscopic maneuvering habits of the semirigid thoracoscope. We designed this study to directly compare the diagnostic yield, quality of sampling, and safety between the dual-function semirigid thoracoscope and semirigid thoracoscope.

Strategy for Prompt and Effective Thoracentesis in the Emergency Department

The SPEEDTAP-trial is a prospective, randomised, investigator-initiated, multicenter, clinical superior trial investigating two thoracentesis methods in four emergency departments (ED) in Central Denmark Region. Patients are randomised to either manual fluid removal in the ED or passively fluid drainage using gravity in the radiology department (standard of care). Primary outcome: time from clinical indication to complete drainage and 188 patients will be included. Key secondary outcomes include length of stay, ED admission to ED discharge and safety end-points.

Developing a Machine Learning Model to Predict Pleural Adhesion Preoperatively Using Pleural Ultrasound

This study aims to investigate the accuracy of using pleural ultrasound (USP) to identify pleural adhesions in patients who plan to receive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. It employs three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) technology to process USP-related images and video data for machine learning, and to establish a diagnostic model for identifying pleural adhesions using 3D-CNN-USP. The study will determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 3D-CNN-USP in identifying pleural adhesions. Additionally, it will explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using 3D-CNN-USP for preoperative identification of pleural adhesions in VATS, thereby supporting the implementation of day surgery in thoracic surgery and ultimately serving clinical practice.

The Efficacy of Shear-wave Elastography-guided Biopsy for Diagnosis in Pleural Disease

To investigate the information from shear-wave elastography on pleural tissues will improve the diagnosis of pleural diseases, as to increase the diagnostic yield in ultrasound-guided transthoracic pleura biopsy.