DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i05.006

Pages: 1537-1539

32 yr old male patient presented with massive left sided pleural effusion as a complication of asymptomatic pancreatic pseudocyst. Pancreatic pseudocyst is well-recognized complication of non-traumatic pancreatitis. Massive pancreatic pleural effusion in pancreatitis and pancreatic pseudocyst is uncommon and therefore it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion to avoid undue delay in diagnosis, repeated thoracocentesis, pleural biopsies, other specific tests and wrong empirical antituberculosis treatment. Massive pancreatic pleural effusion is recurrent and is characterized by high level of amylase in pleural fluid. Therefore we conclude that amylase activity in pleural fluid should be measured during evaluation of left sided exudative pleural effusion with or without history of acute/ chronic pain abdomen and alcohol intake.