Hydrothorax Associated with Peritoneal Dialysis.

Park, Jong Hyeok; Choi, Minsung; Ha, Hongil; Lee, Han Young

Case Report

Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 2011;35(2):148-151.
Published online November 30, 2011.

Hydrothorax Associated with Peritoneal Dialysis.

Jong Hyeok Park, Minsung Choi, Hongil Ha, Han Young Lee

Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea. sanchee@korea.kr

Abstract

Hydrothorax is an uncommon but a well-recognized complication of peritoneal dialysis, and is estimated at 1.6-10%. It is not a life-threatening condition, but massive hydrothorax (so called 'tension hydrothorax') has been documented rarely. We report an autopsy case showing the right-sided hydrothorax associated with peritoneal dialysis. A 27-year-old man who had suffered chronic renal failure and peritoneal dialysis, was found dead in his room. At autopsy, there were about 3 liters of clear transudate in the right pleural cavity and the right lung was collapsed. The biochemical study of the pleural fluid showed 266 mg/dL of glucose.

Key Words: hydrothorax, peritoneal dialysis, autopsy