Use of tunneled pleural catheters for the management of refractory hepatic hydrothorax

Hepatic hydrothorax is a complication seen in up to 10% of patients with advanced liver disease, which typically presents with recurrent pleural effusions. Current available therapeutic options are limited. We demonstrate this condition in a 52-year-old female, and discuss the diagnostic and management difficulties we encountered. Through introducing an intrapleural catheter we successfully enabled resolution of symptoms, reduced hospital admissions and significantly improved our patient's quality of life, with no recurrence of an effusion at 9-month follow-up.