How does blood from retroperitoneal space travel into the thoracic cavity with an intact diaphragm?
mad42k, This may be due to hepatic hydrothorax, and although the exact mechanisms involved in the development of hepatic hydrothorax are incompletely understood, it probably results from the passage from the peritoneal to the pleural cavity through small diaphragmatic defects. These are typically less than 1 cm (and may be microscopic) and are generally located in the tendinous portion of the diaphragm. The negative intrathoracic pressure generated during inspiration favours the passage of fluid from the intra-abdominal to the pleural space. Thus, many patients have only mild or no clinically detectable ascites. Hepatic hydrothorax develops when the absorptive capacity of the pleural space is exceeded. This theory is supported by studies using 99mTc-human albumin or 99mTc-sulphur colloid, which demonstrate unidirectional passage of these markers from the abdominal to the pleural cavity. ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. – MANY ANSWERS
