[Hydrothorax during the neonatal period (author's transl)]

The congenital hydrothorax is a rare cause of the RDS in the newborn. Our observations on three patients with bilateral pleural effusions and 44 cases from the literature will be discussed; we emphasize the importance of this serious disease in the newborn period. The pathogenesis is largely unknown, however, its possible etiology like birth trauma or dysplasia of the lymphatic system are discussed. It should be pointed out that this condition can be rapidly recognized by radiographic examination and successfully treated. The reported survival rate is 29 out of 44 (66%).