Related Experiment Videos
Teratoma masquerading as catamenial pleural effusion
J N Panicker1, K Jothy Dev, S Sandhyamani
1Department of Medicine, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Summary
A rare case of catamenial pleural effusion was diagnosed in a young woman. Surgical removal of a mediastinal teratomatous cyst cured the refractory effusion.
Area of Science:
- Medicine
- Thoracic Surgery
- Gynecologic Oncology
Background:
- Pleural effusion is a frequent medical condition.
- Diagnosis can be challenging, especially in refractory cases.
Observation:
- A 26-year-old female presented with persistent pleural effusion unresponsive to medical management.
- She reported a history of cyclical dry cough and wheezing correlating with her menstrual cycle.
Findings:
- Exploratory thoracotomy revealed a large mediastinal teratomatous cyst containing luteinized ovarian tissue.
- Surgical excision of the cyst led to complete resolution of the pleural effusion.
Implications:
- This case highlights a rare cause of catamenial pleural effusion.
- It underscores the importance of considering extrathoracic pathologies in complex pleural effusion cases.
- Surgical intervention can be curative for such rare conditions.