Benign Pleural Effusion and Ascites Associated with Adenocarcinoma of the Body of the Pancreas

¹ The Medical Service, Veterans Administration Hospital, Wood, Wisconsin.

A case has been presented which was characterized by the presence of bilateral pleural effusion and ascites in the presence of an abdominal tumor. At autopsy the tumor was found to be a pancreatic carcinoma with two small and probably recent metastases in the liver. The effusions were found to be due to causes obscure in nature but not carcinomatous in origin. It is suggested that this case may be analogous to cases of Meigs' syndrome, associated with a pancreatic tumor. Every procedure should be exhausted to demonstrate the benign or malignant nature of the effusions in this type of syndrome. If pleural metastases cannot be demonstrated and the abdominal tumor is amenable to surgery such surgery would then seem to be indicated.