An endocervical malignancy case presenting with massive pleural effusion and mimicking urinothorax: diagnostic challenge

Abstract

We report the case of a 47-year-old woman presenting left-sided pleural effusion as her initial symptom. Pleural aspirate was not diagnostic for urinothorax. However, cervical punch biopsy revealed cervical adenocarcinoma. A pleural symptom such as massive pleural effusion, not vaginal symptoms, in a woman may be a first manifestation of metastatic cervical cancer. Furthermore, any abnormal lesion should not be ignored because of the possibility of metastasis from the primary malignancy, especially in the current case of cervical adenocarcinoma, so a complete evaluation is always mandatory.