https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2021.1676

Lipiodol lymphangiography as a treatment for refractory postoperative chylothorax: a case report

Vol. 91 No. 4 (2021)
Submitted: November 11, 2020
Accepted: April 28, 2021
Published: June 7, 2021
Postoperative chylothorax, medium-chain triglycerides diet, thoracic duct, lipiodol lymphangiography
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Authors

Nesrine Lamine
nesrine.lamine@ulb.be
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2743-3848
Thoracic Surgery Division, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
Apostolos C. Agrafiotis
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7525-2080
Thoracic Surgery Division, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
Ines Lardinois
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6588-9275
Thoracic Surgery Division, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.

Postoperative chylothorax is the most frequent cause of traumatic thoracic chyle leakage. Conservative treatment is primarily used to treat low flow rate chylothoraces and should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis has been made. In case of high flow rate chylothorax or failure of initial treatment, surgery and radiological treatment are indicated. Despite this fact, there is a lack of consensus regarding the best therapeutic option to choose. In the case reported herein, a postoperative chylothorax with a low flow chyle leakage which didn’t respond to conservative treatment is demonstrated. We used lipiodol lymphangiography to determine the site of chyle leakage and to successfully treat our patient. Risk factors for non-response to conservative treatment are also discussed.

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How to Cite

Lamine, Nesrine, Apostolos C. Agrafiotis, and Ines Lardinois. 2021. “Lipiodol Lymphangiography As a Treatment for Refractory Postoperative Chylothorax: A Case Report”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 91 (4). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2021.1676.
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