Complete Remission of Refractory Hepatic Hydrothorax in Patient with Advanced Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt

Hepatic hydrothorax is defined as the presence of pleural fluid (>500 mL) in the absence of primary cardiac or pulmonary disease. Initial treatments consist of a low salt diet, diuretics, and thoracentesis. If these are not effective, other modalities should be considered. The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement is one of the modalities for treatment of hepatic hydrothorax. However, the effects of TIPS placement have been contradictory. A 42-year-old man was diagnosed hepatic hydrothorax with liver cirrhosis. He was managed with medical therapy, but it was not effective to control hepatic hydrothorax. This case is reported with a review of relevant literature.