Hepatic Hydrothorax
Q; How you confirm the cause of pleural effusion (mostly right sided) in cirrhotic patient as hepatic hydrothorax?
Answer: By radioisotope imaging (nuclear medicine)
Pleural effusion in cirrhotic patients (hepatic hydrothorax) may result from migration of ascitic fluid across defects in the diaphragm. Biochemical analysis of ascitic and pleural fluid provides only indirect information about the nature and origin of the effusion.
Transdiaphragmatic movement of ascitic fluid into the pleural space can be demonstrated, generally within 2 hours of intraperitoneal injection of the radiotracer ( 99mTc sulfur colloid scintigraphy).
Radionuclide scintigraphy is a simple, safe and relatively non-invasive method to confirm passage of ascitic fluid across the diaphragm.
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