Urinothorax: a rare complication of total abdominal hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Urinothorax is defined as the presence of urine in the pleural cavity. This condition is due to the leakage of urine from the peritoneal and retroperitoneal space into the pleural space. We report a case of urinothorax after total abdominal hysterectomy. CASE: A premenopausal woman underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and left salpingo-oophorectomy for pelvic pain, requiring extensive dissection. Her postoperative course was complicated by right urinothorax, which was diagnosed after a diagnostic thoracocentesis and resolved after a therapeutic thoracocentesis and the repair of the urinary bladder rent.
CONCLUSION: Urinothorax can occur in cases of undiagnosed urinary tract injury. It presents as postoperative shortness of breath and pleural effusion and should be considered in the differential diagnosis.