Frequency of Hepatic Hydrothorax and its Association with Child Pugh Class in Liver Cirrhosis Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of hepatic hydrothorax and its association with Child Pugh Class in patients with liver cirrhosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive, analytical study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Medical Unit-III, (Ward- 7), from June 2012 to May 2013.

METHODOLOGY: All patients with established diagnosis of decompensated chronic liver disease were included. Detailed history, thorough physical examination, routine laboratory investigations, chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound were carried out in all patients to find out the presence of pleural effusion and ascites, respectively. Fifty milliliters of pleural fluid was aspirated in all patients with pleural effusion using the transthoracic approach, taking ultrasound guidance, wherever required. Fluid was sent for microscopic, biochemical, and microbial analysis. SBEM defined if pleural fluid with polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count > 500 cells/mm3 or positive culture with PMN cell count > 250 cells/mm3 with exclusion of a parapneumonic effusion.

RESULTS: Two hundred and six patients met the inclusion criteria, with mean age of 41.25 ±13.59 years. Among them, 149 (72.3%) were males and 57 (27.7%) females. Twenty-three (11.2%) had hydrothorax; right sided involvement was in 18 (78.3%) subjects, 3 (13%) had left sided while bilateral pleural effusion was found in 2 (8.7%) cases. SBEM was found in 07 (30.43%) cases. Mean serum albumin 3.125 ±0.71 gram/dl. There was association between serum albumin levels and hydrothorax. Asignificant association of hydrothorax with Child Pugh scoring system (p=0.018), but not with serum albumin (p=0.15).

CONCLUSION: The frequency of hepatic hydrothorax has a significant association with hepatic function as assessed by Child Pugh scoring system, but not with serum albumin.