Twisted ovarian tumor causing progressive hemothorax: a case report of porous diaphragm syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Porous diaphragm syndrome is caused by a defect in the diaphragm. The defect may induce pleural effusion in a patient with an ovarian tumor.


METHODS
A 59-year-old Japanese woman with an ovarian tumor and right hemothorax underwent thoracotomy and presented with a fenestra in the right diaphragm through which bloody fluids were flowing from the peritoneal cavity into the pleural space. Following suturing of the fenestra, laparotomy revealed intraabdominal bleeding due to torsion of an ovarian tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report in which the diaphragmatic defect was identified in a patient with an ovarian tumor and hemothorax. Porous diaphragm syndrome may be involved in the pathophysiology of right pleural effusion observed in other medical conditions such as Meigs' syndrome, ovarian hyperstimulated syndrome, and ovarian cancer.
Saito
F
F
Department of Gynecology, Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Tashiro
H
H
Honda
R
R
Ohtake
H
H
Katabuchi
H
H
D003964:Diaphragm / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000473:pathology