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Pleural effusion in patients with end-stage liver disease who are candidates for transplant.
Exp Clin Transplant. 2014 Mar;12 Suppl 1:149-52
Authors: Doğrul MI, Akçay S, Savaş Bozbaş Ş, Er Dedekargınoğlu B, Öner Eyüboğlu F, Moray G, Haberal M
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the rate of occurrence and features of pleural effusion in patients referred to our institution for liver transplant.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 135 patients (43 women, 92 men) with a mean age of 40 years (range, 16-66 y). Patient characteristics such as history of pulmonary disease and types of respiratory symptoms were recorded. The chest radiographs of every study patient were examined.
RESULTS: Of the 135 study patients, 16 (11.9%) had respiratory symptoms upon admission to the hospital, and 49 (36.3%) had abnormalities on their chest radiographs. The most common radiographic abnormality was elevated right hemidiaphragm in 32 patients (23.7%), followed by pleural effusion in 22 (16.2%), atelectasis in 21 (15.5%), hilar enlargement in 18 (13.3%), and elevated left hemidiaphragm in 9 (6.6%). Seventeen of 22 patients (77.3%) had right pleural effusion, 4 (18.2%) had bilateral, and 1 (4.5%) had left pleural effusion. Of the 10 patients undergoing thoracentesis, 9 had transudates and 1 had an exudate.
CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative pleural effusion is a common problem in patients who are candidates for a liver transplant. Most of these patients have right transudative pleural effusion.
PMID: 24635814 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]