Vol.95 No.3 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 95 No. 3 March 2002
Delayed Bilateral Pleural Effusions after Laryngectomy; A Case Report
Masamichi Kobayashi, Tatsuya Hibi, Michihiko Sone and Tsutomu Nakashima
(Nagoya University)
Complications of central venous catheter placement such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, and air embolisms are common. We report a case of hydromediastinum with bilateral pleural effusions after operation for laryngeal carcinoma. The patient developed hydrothorax on the second day after the central venous catheter placement due to the perforation of the superior vena cava wall by the catheter tip. This case emphasizes the fact that hydrothorax can occur long after the catheter placement, and we must continue to consider this possibility following all head and neck surgeries.
Key words : bilateral pleural effusion, laryngectomy, central venous catheter, hydrothorax