• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.79-83
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• 2016

Chyle fistula is one of the complications of neck dissections. Although immediate surgical repair seems to be the best choice when chyle leakage is observed during the operation, some operators can be embarrassed when chyle leakage is heavy and not controlled during surgery. In this case, chyle leakage was occurred after extensive resection of lymph nodes in left level IV, and was not controlled in any way. The clavicular head of sternocleidomastoid muscle was dissected and inferior-based muscular flap was rotated to cover the suspected region of fistula orifice. Amount of drainage was checked less than 20 ml per day in the following days, and drain tube was taken out on the 3rd postoperative days. We present the technique using the inferior based sternocleidomastoid muscle flap for intraoperative management of chyle leakage not easily controlled.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.191-199
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• 2020

Surgeons recommend dissecting lymph nodes in the thorax, abdomen, and neck during surgery for esophageal cancer because of the possibility of metastasis to the lymph nodes in those areas through the lymphatic plexus of the esophageal submucosal layer. Extensive lymph node dissection is essential for accurate staging and is thought to improve survival. However, it can result in several complications, including chyle leakage, which refers to continuous lymphatic fluid leakage and can occur in the thorax, abdomen, and neck. Malnutrition, fluid imbalance, and immune compromise may result from chyle leakage, which can be potentially life-threatening if it persists. Therefore, various treatment methods, including conservative treatment, pharmacological treatment such as octreotide infusion, and interventions such as thoracic duct embolization and surgical thoracic duct ligation, have been applied. In this article, the risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment methods of chyle leakage after esophagectomy are reviewed.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.376-379
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• 2020

Supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) flap is a common donor site for vascularized lymph node transfer for the treatment of lymphedema. Chyle leakage is a rare but serious complication after harvesting SCLN flap in the neck. We report a case of chyle leakage at the SCLN donor site and its successful management. A 52-year-old woman underwent SCLN transfer for treatment of lower extremity lymphedema. After starting a regular diet and wheelchair ambulation on the 3rd postoperative day, the amount of drainage at the donor site increased (8-62 mL/day) with the color becoming milky, which suggested a chyle leak. Despite starting a low-fat diet on the 4th postoperative day, the chyle leakage persisted (70 mL/day). The patient was started on fat-free diet on the 5th postoperative day. The amount of drainage started to decrease and the drain color became more clear within 24 hours. The drainage amount remained less than 10 mL/day from the 8th postoperative day, and we removed the drain on the 12th postoperative day. There was no seroma or other wound complications at follow-up 4 weeks after the operation. The current case demonstrates that a fat-free diet can be a first-line treatment for low output chyle leakage after a SCLN flap.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2024

Chyle leaks are uncommon complications after head and neck surgeries. Although uncommon, such a complication is noteworthy mention due to its perplexing diagnosis and management strategies. This scoping review aims to highlight and emphasize the diagnosis and management options proposed in the literature. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases and identified 617 articles that were reduced to 40 studies and reports after applying the eligibility criteria. Although numerous treatment options ranging from simple, conservative measures to invasive surgical procedures have been mentioned for low-output, high-output, and massive leaks, there is no concrete evidence on the best method. Thus, a combination of management options must be customized by case for optimum results.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intranodal lymphangiography and thoracic duct embolization (TDE) for chyle leakage (CL) after thyroid surgery. Materials and Methods: Fourteen patients who underwent intranodal lymphangiography and TDE for CL after thyroid surgery were included in this retrospective study. Among the 14 patients, 13 underwent bilateral total thyroidectomy with neck dissection (central compartment neck dissection [CCND], n = 13; left modified radical neck dissection (MRND), n = 11; bilateral MRND, n = 2), and one patient underwent left hemithyroidectomy with CCND. Ten patients (76.9%) had high-output CL (> 500 mL/d). Before the procedure, surgical intervention was attempted in three patients (thoracic duct ligation, n = 1; lymphatic leakage site ligation, n = 2). Lymphangiographic findings, technical and clinical successes, and complications were analyzed. Technical success was defined as the successful embolization of the thoracic duct after access to the lymphatic duct via the transabdominal route. Clinical success was defined as the resolution of CL or surgical drain removal. Results: On lymphangiography, ethiodized oil leakage near the surgical bed was identified in 12 of 14 patients (85.7%). The technical success rate of TDE was 78.6% (11/14). Transabdominal antegrade access was not feasible due to the inability to visualize the identifiable cisterna chyli or a prominent lumbar lymphatic duct. Among patients who underwent a technically successful TDE, the clinical success rate was 90.1% (10/11). The median time from the procedure to drain removal was 3 days (with a range of 1-13 days) for the 13 patients who underwent surgical drainage. No CL recurrence was observed during the follow-up period (ranging from 2-44 months; median, 8 months). There were no complications, except for one case of chylothorax that developed after TDE. Conclusion: TDE appears to be a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment option for CL after thyroid surgery, with acceptable technical and clinical success rates.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.202-207
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• 1995

Chylous fistula is a rare complication occurring after radical neck dissection. Previous reports on neck dissection described an incidence of about 1% to 2%. We report a case of chylous fistula that occurred after radical neck dissection for squamous cell carcinoma of left lower gingiva and mandible in a 52-year-old man. We successfully managed the fistula by the following conservative measures : bed rest with head elevation, continuation of closed suction drainage, and dietary management to decrease the rate of chyle formation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.407-410
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• 2017

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.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.798-800
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• 1994

Chyloascities is an extravasation of milky chyle into the peritoneal cavity due to tumor , inflammation or rarely postoperative lymphatic trauma.It is an unusual complication that can lead to significant immunologic and nutritional consequences.We experienced one case of chyloascites after aorto-bifemoral bypass graft in a patient with aorto-iliac occlusive disease.The patient was a 62-year-old male, who suffered from severe progressive claudication for 5 months. A 16$\times$ 8mm gelsealed Dacron-Y shaped graft was used in arterial reconstruction. A bloody-milky fluid was drained through the operative wound from 3days after operation and evaluated biochemically.Diagnosis of chyloascites was made with repeated paracentesis and examination of the fluid.After Total parenteral nutrition[T.P.N] for 3 weeks from 6days after operation, chyloascites was controlled sufficiently and maintained a good graft-patency in abdominal sonogram.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.105-108
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• 2012

Chyloperitoneum or chylous ascite after trauma is a rare condition. It can develop after direct injuries of lymphatic vessels or cisterna chyli. Though isolated chyle duct injury has sometimes been reported, chyloperitoneum is generally accompanied by various kinds of damage to other intraabdominal organs. There's still no established therapeutic protocol regarding the treatment of chyloperitoneum when it is accompanied by the serious injuries of intraabdominal organs. We describe a 66-year-old male with serious intraabdominal organ injuries after blunt trauma. In our case, chyloperitoneum developed due to the injuries to the mesenteric lymph vessels and compression of cisterna chyli by hematoma around aorta.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.182-186
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• 2018

Dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance lymphangiography can be used to provide anatomic and dynamic information for various lymphatic diseases, including thoracic duct injury, and can also help to guide the thoracic duct embolization procedure. We present a case of postoperative chylothorax demonstrated by dynamic enhanced MR lymphangiography. In this case, the chyle leakage site and location of cisterna chyli were clearly visualized by dynamic enhanced MR lymphangiography, thus allowing for management with thoracic duct embolization.