Central Venous Catheter-Related Hydrothorax

This report describes a case of 88-year-old women who developed central venous catheter-related bilateral hydrothorax, in which left pleural effusion, while right pleural effusion was being drained. The drainage prevented accumulation of fluid in the right pleural space, indicating that there was neither extravasation of infusion fluid nor connection between the two pleural cavities. The only explanation for bilateral hydrothorax in this case is lymphatic connections. Although vascular injuries by central venous catheter can cause catheter-related hydrothorax, it is most likely that the positioning of the tip of central venous catheter within the lymphatic duct opening in the right sub-clavian-jugular confluence or superior vena cava causes the catheter-related hydrothorax. Pericardial effusion can also result from retrograde lymphatic flow through the pulmonary lymphatic chains.