Urinothorax: A rare cause of severe respiratory distress.

A case of massive right pleural effusion in a postoperative patient of percutaneous nephrolithotomy leading to severe respiratory distress is reported. A high degree of clinical suspicion and prompt intervention by insertion of an intercostal drainage tube prevented the patient from going in to respiratory failure. The development of arrhythmias confused the picture increasing the morbidity of the patient. However, the patient was managed in an intensive care unit with intercostal chest tube insertion and antiarrhythmic agents. After correction of the specific cause of the effusion the intercostal tube was removed on the 4th day without further recurrence of the effusion.