[Treatment of hydrothorax in patients with cirrhosis using a peritoneo-jugular shunt]

Two cirrhotic patients with massive hydrothorax associated with ascites resistant to medical management were treated by insertion of peritoneovenous shunt. In each case the hydrothorax resolved within 2 to 4 months after shunt insertion. This treatment was still successful 10 to 26 months after surgery. The peritoneovenous shunt is an alternative to medical therapy for large effusions. Its effectiveness in resolving them supports the idea that diaphragmatic defects are involved in their formation.