A case of traumatic chylothorax is presented with its typical clinical presentation. Failure of conservative measures led to a transthoracic ligation of the thoracic duct, with good result.
Chylous leakage after mastectomy & axillary clearance is a rare complication. The incidence is less than 0.5%. Anatomical variations in the termination of thoracic duct can occur, rendering it susceptible to injury during axillary dissection. Most chyle leaks in the axilla are managed through conservative measures. Surgical intervention is required in high output chylous leaks. We encountered a case of chylous leak post mastectomy with axillary clearance, which was successfully treated conservatively.
Chylothorax is a rare condition caused by pleural effusion resulting from thoracic duct injury. Recurrent chylothorax is often resistant to conservative treatment and presents a clinical conundrum in its management. Here, we report a compelling case of recurrent chylothorax that persisted despite the administration of total parenteral nutrition, octreotide and thoracic duct embolisation. The patient eventually required thoracic duct ligation and talc pleurodesis, which resulted in the resolution of the effusion. Our case is an illustrative example of the effective multidisciplinary management of recurrent bilateral idiopathic chylothorax.