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Mononeuropathy multiplex and chylothorax as earlier manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Mononeuropathy multiplex (MNM) and chylothorax are rare clinical disorders. The concurrence of these two disorders with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection has not been reported. We herein report a patient who was initially diagnosed with fever of unknown origin and MNM, and then developed chylothorax. Pulmonary tuberculosis was proved 1 month after chylothorax appeared. With low-dose prednisolone 15 mg day(-1) and anti-tuberculosis drugs, all these disorders completely resolved 1 year later.

Aged↗

Octreotide in the treatment of congenital chylothorax.

Congenital chylothorax is the accumulation of lymphatic fluid within the pleural space. Cases unresponsive to conservative management usually require surgery. Octreotide has been used successfully to treat post-traumatic chylothoraces in the paediatric and adult population. Its exact mode of action is uncertain but it is believed to reduce lymphatic drainage by a direct action on splanchnic lymph flow. We report a case of congenital chylothorax where surgery was avoided with the compassionate trial of the somatostatin analogue, octreotide. Treatment was associated with prompt respiratory improvement prior to cessation of pleural drainage. Further studies are required to ascertain its true value in congenital chylothorax.

Chylothorax↗

Transabdominal ligation of the thoracic duct as treatment of choice for postoperative chylothorax after esophagectomy.

Postoperative chylothorax after injury of the thoracic duct during esophagectomy is a rare but severe complication which may lead to serious problems such as loss of fat and proteins, and immunodeficiency. Without treatment mortality can rise to over 50%. From 1988 to 2005, we treated 10 patients with postoperative chylothorax after 409 resections of the esophagus (2.4%). Of these 10 patients nine underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with gastric pull-up to enable an intrathoracic (n = 7) or cervical (n = 2) anastomosis and one patient received a transhiatal esophagectomy with gastric pull-up and cervical anastomosis. The average amount of postoperative chylus was 2205 mL (200-4500 mL) per day. After a median postoperative interval of 10 days, relaparotomy and transhiatal double ligation of the thoracic duct was performed in nine out of 10 patients. One patient could be managed conservatively. The average amount of chylus was reduced to 151 mL per day (90.5%). Seven patients had no complications, and three suffered from postoperative pneumonia. Two of the patients with pneumonia recovered, and one died. Discharge from hospital, after ligation of the thoracic duct, was possible after a median time of 18 days (11-52). Ligation of the thoracic duct via relaparotomy appeared to be a simple and safe method to treat postoperative chylothorax.

Aged↗

Somatostatin treatment of congenital chylothorax may induce transient hypothyroidism in newborns.

AIM: To describe a group of neonates with congenital, non-traumatic chylothorax, one of whom developed transient hypothyroidism following treatment with somatostatin. METHODS: The charts of seven infants with congenital chylothorax were reviewed in terms of their clinical presentation, the severity of their disease, the complications they presented and the duration of their hospitalization. Their pituitary-thyroid axis function was monitored in particular. RESULTS: The seven infants, all preterm (32-34 wk), suffered from congenital chylothorax and hydrops fetalis diagnosed during the prenatal period. Four were treated by intrauterine drainage, and four had congenital malformations. Hospitalization lasted from 32 to 120 d. Three of the infants suffered from thrombocytopenia, three had chronic lung disease, and one suffered from Gram-negative sepsis. The infant treated with somatostatin initially had normal thyroid function, but later developed primary transient hypothyroidism and was treated with L-thyroxine. The thyroid screening tests for the infants who were not treated with somatostatin were all normal. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated doses of somatostatin were effective in reducing chylus production. Administering this treatment earlier should be considered in order to minimize known complications. The only potential side effect observed was primary transient hypothyroidism. Therefore, careful monitoring of the pituitary-thyroid axis is advised.

Chylothorax↗

Resolution of chylothorax after resection of rib chondroma in a dog.

A six-year-old, male dobermann was presented with a history of dyspnoea and bouts of coughing. Radiography and computed tomography of the thorax showed pleural effusion and a well-circumscribed, calcified mass of 10 cm in diameter, appearing to originate from the left first rib. Thoracocentesis revealed that the pleural fluid was chylous in nature. An incisional biopsy was performed, which gave a histological diagnosis of chondroma. Resolution of the chylothorax after en-bloc surgical removal of the tumour suggested that the rib tumour was the initiating cause of the chylothorax. Seventeen months later, rib neoplasia recurred without pleural effusion, and was removed successfully. To the authors' knowledge, rib chondroma, which is an unusual tumour in dogs, has not been previously documented as a cause of chylothorax.

Animals↗

How should chylothorax be managed?

The management and complications of chylothorax occurring beyond the neonatal period were reviewed retrospectively. Records from 15 patients treated between 1976 and 1986 were analysed; a combination of thoracocentesis, chest drain insertion, and dietary modification were successful in abolishing chyle leakage in 10 cases. One child died from complications of cardiac surgery rather than from the chylothorax, and surgical intervention was necessary in the remaining four patients and included pleurectomy in three and thoracic duct ligation in the fourth. Lymphopenia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyponatraemia, and weight loss were the most common complications of conservative management and tended to occur in those patients with the longest duration of drainage. Postoperative recovery after pleurectomy and thoracic duct ligation was uneventful. We conclude that conservative management of chylothorax will be successful in most cases. Complications of such a policy are fairly common but rarely serious.

Child↗

Chylothorax: report of a case complicating ductus ligation through a median sternotomy, and review.

An unusual case of chylothorax is described in a 4-year-old child after repair of a ventricular septal defect and ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus through a median sternotomy. Left chylothorax developed after a latent period of six days and was treated initially with continuous drainage and parenteral supplementation of proteins and lipids. Operative intervention with oversewing of the site of the leak in the anterior mediastinum proved necessary after three weeks. The anatomical variations of the thoracic duct are outlined to explain the occurrence of chylothorax after diverse intrathoracic operations. The physiological effects of a thoracic duct fistula and various aspects of management are reviewed.

Child, Preschool↗

Sarcoidosis presenting with chylothorax.

A patient in whom chylothorax was the presenting feature of sarcoidosis is reported. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy was shown by computed tomographic scanning. Obstruction of the thoracic duct by enlarged lymph nodes or fibrosis is the probable cause of chylothorax in this case. The association of chylothorax and sarcoidosis is extremely rare.

Adult↗

Antenatal treatment of chylothorax and cystic hygroma with OK-432 in nonimmune hydrops fetalis.

OBJECTIVES: To present our experience of using OK-432 in treating fetal cystic hygroma and chylothorax complicated with nonimmune hydrops fetalis. METHODS: OK-432 (Picibanil) was injected into the fetal pleural cavity or fetal cystic hygroma. RESULTS: Patient 1: A 23-year-old, gravida 2, para 1, was found to have a recurrent fetal chylothorax at GA 29 weeks. Serial amnioreduction and thoracocentesis was performed at GA 31, 32, 33, and 34 weeks. Intrapleural OK-432 injection was performed twice at GA 33 and 34 weeks. Cyanosis and respiratory distress were noted immediately after birth (GA 34 weeks). The baby expired despite of aggressive neonatal resuscitation. Patient 2: A 26-year-old, gravida 2, para 1, was found to have a cystic hygroma of her fetus at GA 17 weeks. Karyotype of the cystic fluid and the amniocytes were 46, XY. Fetal ascites developed at GA 22 weeks. OK-432 injection into the tumour was performed at GA 23 weeks. Stabilization of the cystic hygroma was noted throughout the pregnancy (about 3.5 cm in diameter). Serial fetal paracentesis and/or amnioreduction were performed. Karyotype of the ascites was again 46, XY. Maternal dietary modification with medium chain triglyceride was also prescribed. Chylothorax developed and the baby was born by cesareans at GA 32 weeks. Resolution of pleural effusion, ascites, and regression of cystic hygroma were noted since the 2nd day after birth. The baby had survived beyond 4 months of age at submission. CONCLUSION: Combination of antenatal OK-432 injection, maternal dietary modification, serial thoracocentesis plus paracentesis, together with amnioreduction and tocolysis, appeared to contribute to the success of antenatal treatment. Fetal pulmonary expansion may determine the immediate neonatal survival.

Adult↗

Chylothorax after mantle field irradiation for Hodgkin's disease.

6 years after mantle field irradiation for stage IA Hodgkin's disease, a patient presented with right-sided chylothorax. Even after thorough investigation no etiology for the chylothorax was found. It is suggested that chylothorax can be due to previous radiotherapy.

Chylothorax↗

Chylothorax as presenting manifestation of adenocarcinoma with probable gastric primary.

Chylothorax is an unusual complication of various malignant neoplasms, generally lymphomas. The few reported cases of chylothorax with gastric and other abdominal malignancies have involved large abdominal masses with prominent adenopathy and chylous ascites. We describe a patient in whom chylothorax was the presenting manifestation of an adenocarcinoma with probable gastric primary, developing prior to any clinical or radiologic evidence of tumor.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Spontaneous resolution of iatrogenic chylothorax in a cat.

Chylothorax is an uncommon condition of dogs and cats defined by the accumulation of chylous effusion within the pleural space. Chylothorax has been experimentally created in dogs and cats by ligation of the cranial vena cava and has been reported to occur spontaneously in dogs with naturally occurring obstruction of the cranial vena cava. In the cat of this report, iatrogenic chylothorax was caused by surgical ligation and transection of the left brachiocephalic vein during a tracheal resection and anastomosis procedure. The chylous effusion resolved with medical management 9 weeks after surgery.

Animals↗

[Octreotide for bilateral chylothorax secondary to lymphoma. Report of one case].

Since chylothorax is uncommon and has multiple causes, its best treatment choice is not clear. Recent reports show that octreotide is useful in the treatment of chylothorax secondary to cancer or caused by surgical procedures. We report a 21 years old male with a chylothorax secondary to a non Hodgkin lymphoma. Treatment with octreotide changed the color and triglyceride content of pleural effusion. Serum albumin and proteins increased and the effusion subsided after the second cycle of chemotherapy with CHOP. Thus octreotide was discontinued on the 27th day of therapy and pleural drainages were withdrawn. He was discharged in good conditions, 38 days after admission.

Adult↗

Omentalization of the thorax for treatment of idiopathic chylothorax with constrictive pleuritis in a cat.

A 6-year-old, spayed female Himalayan cat with idiopathic chylothorax, which failed to respond to medical management, was successfully treated by advancement of the omentum into the thorax. Exploratory thoracotomy revealed severe, constrictive pleuritis as a sequela to chylothorax. Because of the poor prognosis for recovery from chylothorax in cats with thoracic duct ligation alone, and the lack of success in performing thoracic duct ligation in this cat, the omentum was advanced into the thorax through a hole created in the diaphragm and sutured within the thoracic cavity. The cat recovered from surgery and is clinically normal 13 months postoperatively. Omental advancement may be an effective surgical management technique for this challenging disease in cats.

Animals↗

Postoperative chylothorax. Six cases in 2,500 operations, with a survey of the world literature.

We have systematically reviewed the literature concerning iatrogenic chylothorax and shall report our personal observations on the subject. Despite an increasing number of thoracic operations, injuries to the thoracic duct are infrequent. Cardiovascular and esophageal procedures are the most frequent causes of chylothorax. Malformations of the thoracic duct and other organs of the mediastinum have often been involved in lymphatic injury. Consequently, we believe that a complicating chylothorax may result from varied causes rather than solely from a surgical error.

Adolescent↗

Chylothorax: a complication after internal thoracic artery harvesting.

Chylothorax is a rare but serious complication of cardiac surgery. A 64-year-old man with three-vessel disease underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Ten days later he developed left pleural effusion. An intercostal drain was inserted and 1600 ml of pale pink, milky fluid were obtained. The results of biochemical analysis were consistent with chyle. The diagnosis of a left chylothorax was made. Conservative treatment consisting of total parenteral nutrition and pleural drainage was successfully employed. In the literature we found 17 cases in which the development of chylothorax after a coronary revascularization procedure is described.

Chylothorax↗

[Bilateral chylothorax as initial manifestation of gastric cancer].

We describe a case in which bilateral chylothorax was the initial presenting manifestation of a gastric cancer (scirrhous type). A 58-year-old woman was admitted because of acute right subclavian vein thrombosis. Following admission, she complained of dyspnea on effort and on the 14th hospital day chest X-ray examination revealed bilateral pleural effusion. Biochemical tests of the pleural fluid detected chyle, and cytological examinations revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma bilaterally. An upper gastrointestinal examination revealed gastric cancer (scirrhous type). Carcinoma of the stomach has very rarely been described as the cause of chylothorax, but our findings indicate the need to rule out a gastric neoplasm in patients with chylothorax of no clear cause.

Adenocarcinoma, Scirrhous↗

Obstruction of superior vena cava after the Mustard procedure for transposition of the great arteries. Conservative management of chylothorax.

Chylothorax may be produced by superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction, a recognized complication of the Mustard operation for trasposition of the great arteries. The chylothorax may be reduced by keeping the subject in the upright position. Conservative management is an alternative to repeat operation. This syndrome must be recognized, as it can be confused with congestive heart failure. Severe chylothorax may develop insidiously because of progressive SVC obstruction after the immediate postoperative period.

Angiocardiography↗