A 49-Year-Old Woman With Persistent Bilateral Pleural Effusions

Chest. 2021 Sep;160(3):e273-e278. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.04.022.

Abstract

A 49-year-old woman presented to the ED with sudden onset abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Her medical history included an uncomplicated gastric lap band surgery 9 years ago and subsequent removal of lap band after 6 years. She had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and cholecystectomy 5 months prior to the current presentation. The patient had been diagnosed with asthma and was prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid that she used only as needed. The patient denied smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. She was currently employed as a scrub technician in a local surgical center.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Catheters, Indwelling
  • Chylothorax* / diagnosis
  • Chylothorax* / etiology
  • Chylothorax* / physiopathology
  • Chylothorax* / therapy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Dyspnea / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymphedema* / diagnosis
  • Lymphedema* / etiology
  • Lymphography / methods*
  • Middle Aged
  • Physical Examination / methods
  • Pleural Effusion* / diagnosis
  • Pleural Effusion* / etiology
  • Pleural Effusion* / physiopathology
  • Pleural Effusion* / therapy
  • Pleurodesis / methods*
  • Radiography, Thoracic / methods
  • Recurrence
  • Thoracentesis / methods*
  • Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted* / instrumentation
  • Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted* / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Yellow Nail Syndrome* / complications
  • Yellow Nail Syndrome* / diagnosis