Pleural ascites in ascitic liver cirrhosis

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted on forty patients with documented liver cirrhosis and gross ascites and without other diseases which could produce ascites or pleural effusion. Five cases were found to have pleural effusion as well. A full work up was done and the diagnosis of hepatic hydrothorax in these patients was confined by exclusion. Four cases had right massive pleural effusion, and one case had bilateral moderate accumulation. Comparison of ascitic and pleural fluids of these patients showed similar character of both fluids. However, one case showed a bloody effusion, yet had a clear yellow ascitic fluid. Also pleural fluid in all cases had higher protein concentration and specific gravity than the corresponding ascitic fluid. Other easily diffusible substances as sodium, potassium, glucose urea and creatinine were similar in pleural and ascitic fluids. Ascitic fluid had more lymphocytes than pleural fluids. No correlation was found with the advances of liver cell failure