BACKGROUNDThe renal system has a specific pleural effusion associated with it in the form of“urothorax”, a condition where obstructive uropathy or occlusion of thelymphatic ducts leads to extravasated fluids (urine ...BACKGROUNDThe renal system has a specific pleural effusion associated with it in the form of“urothorax”, a condition where obstructive uropathy or occlusion of thelymphatic ducts leads to extravasated fluids (urine or lymph) crossing thediaphragm via innate perforations or lymphatic channels. As a rare disorder thatmay cause pleural effusion, renal lymphangiectasia is a congenital or acquiredabnormality of the lymphatic system of the kidneys. As vaguely mentioned in areport from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, this disorder can be causedby extrinsic compression of the kidney secondary to hemorrhage.CASE SUMMARYA 54-year-old man with biopsy-proven acute tubulointerstitial nephropathyexperienced bleeding 3 d post hoc, which, upon clinical detection, manifested as amassive perirenal hematoma on computed tomography (CT) scan withoutconcurrent pleural effusion. His situation was eventually stabilized byexpeditious management, including selective renal arterial embolization. Despite good hemodialysis adequacy and stringent volume control, a CT scan 1 mo laterfound further enlargement of the perirenal hematoma with heterogeneoushypodense fluid, left side pleural effusion and a small amount of ascites. Thesefluid collections showed a CT density of 3 Hounsfield units, and drained fluid ofthe pleural effusion revealed a dubiously light-colored transudate withlymphocytic predominance (> 80%). Similar results were found 3 mo later, duringwhich time the patient was free of pulmonary infection, cardiac dysfunction andovert hypoalbuminemia. After careful consideration and exclusion of otherpossible causative etiologies, we believed that the pleural effusion was due to theocclusion of renal lymphatic ducts by the compression of kidney parenchymaand, in the absence of typical dilation of the related ducts, considered our case asextrarenal lymphangiectasia in a broad sense.CONCLUSIONAs such, our case highlighted a morbific passage between the kidney and thoraxunder an extraordinarily rare condition. Given the paucity of pertinentknowledge, it may further broaden our understanding of this rare disorder.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUNDThe renal system has a specific pleural effusion associated with it in the form of“urothorax”, a condition where obstructive uropathy or occlusion of thelymphatic ducts leads to extravasated fluids (urine or lymph) crossing thediaphragm via innate perforations or lymphatic channels. As a rare disorder thatmay cause pleural effusion, renal lymphangiectasia is a congenital or acquiredabnormality of the lymphatic system of the kidneys. As vaguely mentioned in areport from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, this disorder can be causedby extrinsic compression of the kidney secondary to hemorrhage.CASE SUMMARYA 54-year-old man with biopsy-proven acute tubulointerstitial nephropathyexperienced bleeding 3 d post hoc, which, upon clinical detection, manifested as amassive perirenal hematoma on computed tomography (CT) scan withoutconcurrent pleural effusion. His situation was eventually stabilized byexpeditious management, including selective renal arterial embolization. Despite good hemodialysis adequacy and stringent volume control, a CT scan 1 mo laterfound further enlargement of the perirenal hematoma with heterogeneoushypodense fluid, left side pleural effusion and a small amount of ascites. Thesefluid collections showed a CT density of 3 Hounsfield units, and drained fluid ofthe pleural effusion revealed a dubiously light-colored transudate withlymphocytic predominance (> 80%). Similar results were found 3 mo later, duringwhich time the patient was free of pulmonary infection, cardiac dysfunction andovert hypoalbuminemia. After careful consideration and exclusion of otherpossible causative etiologies, we believed that the pleural effusion was due to theocclusion of renal lymphatic ducts by the compression of kidney parenchymaand, in the absence of typical dilation of the related ducts, considered our case asextrarenal lymphangiectasia in a broad sense.CONCLUSIONAs such, our case highlighted a morbific passage between the kidney and thoraxunder an extraordinarily rare condition. Given the paucity of pertinentknowledge, it may further broaden our understanding of this rare disorder.
