Spontaneous bilothorax without previous surgery or trauma, a case report.

J Surg Case Rep

Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.

Published: August 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • - Bilothorax is a rare condition linked to severe infections, often presenting with right-sided pleural effusion, with causes including biliary obstruction and infections; diagnosis is confirmed by a specific pleural fluid to serum bilirubin ratio above 1.
  • - A case study involved a 33-year-old Asian woman experiencing progressive shortness of breath due to a pleural effusion, which was identified as a biloma with a bilirubin ratio of 15.9; imaging revealed a nodule linked to a hemorrhagic endometriotic lesion.
  • - Treatment for this patient included antibiotics, a tube to drain the pleural effusion, and various procedures to address both the bilothorax and the endometri

Article Abstract

Bilothorax is a rare condition that can lead to severe infection and death. Most cases present with right-sided pleural effusion and the etiology can be biliary obstruction, infection, or iatrogenic complications. The diagnosis of bilothorax is confirmed by the ratio of pleural fluid to serum bilirubin >1. A 33-year-old Asian female presented with progressive dyspnea from right pleural effusion, which was confirmed to be biloma by pleural fluid to serum bilirubin ratio of 15.9. Imaging showed right-sided subdiaphragmatic nodule, which was subsequently biopsied on laparoscopy revealing hemorrhagic endometriotic lesion. However, there was no obvious diaphragmatic defect connecting pleural and peritoneal cavities. Additionally, no biliary leakage was identified by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The treatment included antibiotics, tube thoracostomy, ERCP with stent, thermal ablation of endometriotic nodules under laparoscopy, and hormonal therapy for endometriosis. Bilothorax is rare case itself but the etiology secondary to endometriosis makes this case particularly unique.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11305266PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rjae485DOI Listing

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