• Joel Armando Loeza-Irigoyen, Yolando Muñoz-Guzmán, Carlos Pérez-Guzmán, and Israel Gutiérrez-Mendoza.
• Departamento de Neumología, Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Jalisco.
• Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2008 Jul 1; 46 (4): 453-8.

Backgroundchronic alcoholic liver disease (EHAC) associates to recurrent pleural effusion. Generally thoracocentesis is not performed for considering this fluid a trasudate. Our objective was to determine the usefulness of thoracocentesis and causes of recurrent pleural effusion.Methodswe analyzed samples of pleural fluid of patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease, recurrent pleural effusion and respiratory failure. Blood tests, chest x-rays and pleural fluid analyses were evaluated.Resultswe included 27 cases. Mean age of patients was >60 year old, mean evolution time of liver disease was approximately 4 years. 55.6% were exudates and 44.4% trasudates. Causes of recurrent pleural effusion were portal hypertension in 12 (44.4%) cases. In patients with exudate, the origin was infectious in 8 (29.6%) cases; in 4 (14.8%) the cause was malignancy; one more with pulmonary embolism, and in other two patients the cause was not identified.Conclusionswe found that more than half of patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease and recurrent pleural effusion was an exudate, thus thoracocentesis should be frequently performed in these patients.

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