Glycinothorax: a new complication of transurethral surgery.
A 76-year-old woman sustained inadvertent perforation of her posterior bladder wall during transurethral resection of a bladder tumour. In the immediate postoperative period, she developed life-threatening respiratory failure following the formation of a large, unilateral pleural effusion. After therapeutic drainage, biochemical analysis of the effusion revealed that it had a high concentration of glycine. The fluid used for intra- and postoperative bladder irrigation had leaked from the perforated bladder and collected in the pleural cavity. This type of hydrothorax complicating endoscopic urological surgery has not been described previously.
Pittman
J A
JA
Department of Anaesthesia, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK.
Dirnhuber
M
M
D000368:Aged; D003558:Cystoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000009:adverse effects; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000293:injuries; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*