Journal of Chest Surgery

The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (대한심장혈관흉부외과학회)
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Chylothorax after Blunt Chest Trauma: A Case Report

  • Sriprasit, Pawit (Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University) ;
  • Akaraborworn, Osaree (Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University)
  • Received : 2016.11.10
  • Accepted : 2017.05.09
  • Published : 2017.10.05
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Abstract

Traumatic chylothorax after blunt chest trauma alone is considered rare. Our patient was a 27-year-old female who was in a motorcycle accident and sustained blunt thoracic and traumatic thoracic aortic injuries with T1-T2 vertebral subluxation. She underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair from T4 to T9 without any thoracic or spinal surgery. On postoperative day 7, the drainage from her left chest turned into a milky-white fluid indicative of chyle leakage. The patient was treated conservatively for 2 weeks and then the chest drain was safely removed. The results show that traumatic chylothorax can be successfully managed with conservative treatment.

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References

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