Hepatic hydrothorax after blunt chest trauma.
We report a successful treatment result in a rare case of hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis, who had sustained hydrothorax after blunt thoracoabdominal trauma. This was a female patient with liver cirrhosis, Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A, without ascites before injury. She sustained blunt thoracoabdominal trauma with a left clavicle fracture dislocation and right rib fractures. There was no hemopneumothorax at initial presentation. However, dyspnea and right pleural effusion developed gradually. We inserted a chest tube to relieve the patient's symptoms, and the daily drainage amount remained consistent. Hepatic hydrothorax was confirmed by the intraperitoneal injection of radioisotope 99mTc-sulfur colloid that demonstrated one-way transdiaphragmatic flow of fluid from the peritoneal cavity to pleural cavities. Finally, the hydrothorax was treated successfully by minocycline-induced pleural symphysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of hepatic hydrothorax developed after thoracoabdominal trauma.
Division of Trauma, Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei-Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Shang-Chiung
SC
Wang
Chih-I
CI
Chen
Chen-Chi
CC
Liu
Chien-Ying
CY
Wang
Isaac
I
Chun-Jen Chen
Mu-Shun
MS
Huang
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006876:Hydrothorax / Q000209:etiology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*