Severe hemorrhagic complication of talc pleurodesis for idiopathic pleural effusion

Talc is a commonly used sclerosing agent for pleurodesis. However, there have been recent reports of a number of complications associated with the use of talc. Although there is significant data regarding the respiratory complications associated with talc, reports of bleeding complications are extremely rare. We present the case of a 78 year-old man who was treated with talc pleurodesis for recurrent pleural effusion and subsequently developed a massive hemothorax, a rare complication.