Urinothorax: A rare complication of percutaneous nephrostomy

Abstract

We present a case of a urinothorax resulting from treatment of genitourinary pathology. The presentation, diagnosis, and management of a 46-year-old female with an urinothorax are discussed. Urinothorax is a rare cause of a pleural effusion, most commonly arising from a traumatic etiology. Imaging can be crucial in the diagnosis, particularly computerized tomography (CT), which can help characterize any associated causative genitourinary abnormalities such as anatomical defects or a urinoma. A urinothorax is often posttraumatic in etiology, associated with the treatment of genitourinary pathology, as in this case. Treatment of the source of the urine leak is required to properly manage an urinothorax and often requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Keywords: Hospital Medicine, Nephrology, Pulmonary Diseases, Radiology, Urology, Interventional Radiology