Pleural effusion due to hepatic cirrhosis and ascites is well known. But rarely a pleural effusion may develop in a cirrhotic patient in the absence of detectable ascites. The differential diagnosis of a right-sided transudative pleural effusion in a patient with chronic liver disease with or without ascites includes congestive heart failure and nephrotic syndrome. These diseases are usually ruled out with standard clinical tests. Patients with hepatic hydrothorax should be treated with fluid restriction, diuretics and the correction of hypoalbuminemia. Patients with severe symptoms due to refractory hepatic hydrothorax might benefit from pleural sclerosis and surgical closure of diaphragmatic defect. We experienced a case of right-sided pleural effusion in liver cirrhosis without ascites.