A case of ‘sweet’ hydrothorax in a patient on peritoneal dialysis

Abstract

Non-infectious complications are an important cause of peritoneal dialysis failure. Increased intra-abdominal pressure resulting from dialysate inflow into the peritoneal cavity can cause leaks, including hydrothorax due to pleuroperitoneal communication. The authors describe a patient on peritoneal dialysis with a newly discovered pleural effusion with a high glucose level. The patient was treated conservatively with peritoneal dialysis cessation and switched to haemodialysis with complete resolution of the pleural effusion. After 5 weeks, the patient successfully restarted peritoneal dialysis without recurrence of the hydrothorax.