• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.41-48
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• 2020

Background: Chylothorax after congenital heart surgery is not an uncommon complication, and it is associated with significant morbidity. However, consensus treatment guidelines are lacking. To improve the treatment outcomes of patients with postoperative chylothorax, we implemented a standardized management protocol at Severance Hospital in September 2014. Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated at a single center was done. All corrective and palliative operations for congenital heart disease performed at our institution between January 2008 and April 2018 were reviewed. The incidence and treatment outcomes of postoperative chylothorax were analyzed. Results: The incidence of chylothorax was 1.9%. Sixty-one percent of the patients could be managed with a low-fat diet, while 28% of the patients required complete restriction of enteral feeding. Thoracic duct embolization was performed in 2 patients and chest tube drainage decreased immediately after the procedure. No patient required thoracic duct ligation or pleurodesis. After implementation of the institutional management protocol, the number of chest tube drainage days decreased (median, 24 vs. 14 days; p=0.45). Conclusion: Implementing a strategy to reduce postoperative chylothorax resulted in an acceptable incidence of postoperative chylothorax. Instituting a clinical practice protocol helped to curtail the treatment duration and to decrease the requirement for surgical treatment. Image-guided embolization of the thoracic duct is an effective treatment for postoperative chylothorax.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.191-195
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• 1988

Chylothorax in the neonatal period is a rare cause of respiratory distress. Surgical ligation of the thoracic duct is rarely necessary in congenital chylothorax. A 3 day-old newborn delivered by the cesarean section showed signs of respiratory distress suddenly and diagnosed as chylothorax on the right hemithorax. Conservative management such as multiple thoracenteses and tube thoracostomy drainage with nutritional support failed to close the leakage. At age of 60 days, we performed a supradiaphragmatic mass ligature of the thoracic duct visualized after injection of methylene blue into the thigh subcutaneously. Postoperatively, chylous effusion occurred in the left hemithorax and successfully treated with chest tube drainage for several days.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.1172-1178
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• 2008

Purpose : Congenital chylothorax is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid within the pleural space. It is a common cause of unidentified hydrops fetalis. We examined the perinatal history, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome in 6 newborns diagnosed to have congenital chylothorax with hydrops fetalis. We also studied the effect of octreotide therapy for congenital chylothorax in relation to conservative treatment. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 6 patients diagnosed to have congenital chylothorax with hydrops fetalis among 27,907 newborns who were born at the Cheil General Hospital and Womens Healthcare Center between January 2004 and July 2007. The diagnosis of chylothorax is based on the analysis of pleural fluid before and after milk feeding. Results : Incidence of congenital chylothorax in this study was 0.021%. All 6 cases were noted in over the 92% lymphocyte in pleural analysis. Transudate was changed into chyle with increasing triglyceride levels above 200 mg/dL after milk feeding. Three of 6 infants improved with conservative treatment, including thoracostomy and assisted ventilation. The others had persistent symptoms despite conservative treatment and responded to octreotide therapy. A complication, specifically vomiting was noted in 1 case during octreotide therapy. Conclusion : In this study, octreotide therapy resulted in a safe and excellent outcome. Therefore, octreotide therapy is considered in severe refractory congenital chylothorax in conservative treatment. Further studies are required to determine appropriate guidelines for octreotide therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.91-94
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• 2022

Chylothorax after thoracic surgery is a rare complication, and treatment for refractory chylothorax is challenging. We report a case of chylothorax after cardiothoracic surgery in an infant after failure of conservative management and thoracic duct ligation. The patient underwent chemical pleurodesis with a Viscum album extract. The treatment was successful and chylothorax did not recur.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.731-738
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• 1989

The development of chylothorax and chylopericardium are serious and often life-threatening clinical entity. The ideal treatment of these problems is not well established to date. We reviewed our experiences with chylothorax or chylopericardium in 16 patients [17 cases] from July 1979 to May 1989. Ages ranged from 20 days to 41 years. The etiologies were traumatic in 10, congenital or idiopathic in 5, and tuberculous lymphadenopathy in one. In 8 patients, the chylothorax or chylopericardium occurred as a complication of cardiothoracic surgery. Eleven patients were treated nonoperatively with either repeated thoracenteses or chest tube drainage. Five patients underwent operative treatment: transthoracic thoracic duct ligation [three patients], thoracic duct ligation combined with decortication [one], and oversewn the defect of mediastinal pleura[one]. Duration of preoperative therapy ranged from 18 to 38 days. One of eleven [9.1 %] patients treated nonoperatively died. Of the surgically treated group, there were no deaths. All patients except one dead cured or improved either treated nonoperatively or operatively. Our experience suggests that surgical management of the chylothorax or chylopericardium is not always required, and each patient must be judged individually according to disease process.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.298-301
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• 2007

Chylothorax is a rare complication following cardiac surgery for congenital heart diseases. Although conservative management is successful in the majority of cases, surgical intervention is required in a refractory one. Recently, subcutaneous or intravenous infusion of octreotide has been used as a safe treatment that helps avoiding surgical intervention. Herein, we report two cases of postoperative chylothorax treated with parenteral octreotide and conservative therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.360-364
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• 1996

Chylothorax is denned by extravasation of the milky fluid to pleural cavity from the thoracic duct or it's main branches due to operative trauma, congenital lesions, diagnostic procedures, tumor, etc. Another rare cause is diffuse pulmonary Iymphangiomatosis which is uncommon and not well charact rized. We experienced a case of the bilateral chylothorax caused by the diffuse pulmonary Iymphangiomatosis. The patient was at years old girl with symptoms of coughing and febrile sensation, and the chest radiographs showed bilateral pleural effusion and interstitial infiltrates. The laboratory data of the pleural effusion was identified as chile. Uncontrollable with closed tube thoracostomy, division of tHe thoracic duct and biopsy were decided. Biopsy showed anastomosing endothelial lined spaces along the pulmonary Iymphatic routes especially in pleural and interlobar septum, and smooth muscle at the proliferative interstitium of the Iymphatic duct was observed. Postoperatively, chylothorax was controlled with several trial of chemical pleurodesis. Af'leer discharge from the hospital, she was well for ten months follow up.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.221-223
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• 2005

Congenital pleural effusions are uncommon. The majority of cases are due to chylothorax, hydrops fetalis, and infection. Effusions of this nature are, for the most part, self-limited. We experienced a rare case of a congenital unilateral pleural effusion due to an extralobar sequestraion with pulmonary lymphangiectasia. Pleural effusion was found by antenatal ultrasonography and confirmed by CT scans and CT angiography of the chest in the neonatal period. The patient underwent an open thoracotomy where extralobar sequestraion located between the diaphragm and the left lower lobe was removed. His postoperative course was uncomplicated and there was complete resolution of the pleural effusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 1973

Bronchopulmonary sequestration is a congenital malformation characterized by a cystic portion of the lung that derives its arterial blood supply through anomalous aberrant vessel directly of the systemic circulation. An aberrant systemic vessel supplying the lung was reported by Huber in 1777. Although this lesion is uncommon disorder, there are several reports on operative death caused by exanguinating hemorrhage from the aberrant arteries to the bronchopulmonary sequestration to that it has received a great deal of attention. Two type of bronchopulmonary sequestration have been identified: Intralobar pulmonary sequestration is usually contained within the visceral pleura of a pulmonary lobe and its venous drainage to the pulmonary venous system. Extrapulmonary sequestration is usually within the pleural sheath its own and its vasculature drains into the azygos or hemiazygos system. we presented one case of intralobar pulmonary sequestration which led to motor paralysis, chylothorax and hemorrhage that are consequent on postoperative complication.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.335-342
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• 2008

Background: Congenital cystic diseases of the lung are uncommon, and they share similar embryogenic and clinical characteristics. But they are sometimes vary widely in their presentation and severity. Therefore they are often difficult to make different diagnosis each other, and all require surgical treatment. Material and Method: From 1993 to 2006, 38 patients underwent surgical procedures under these diagnostic categories in the Depart. of Thoracic and. Cardiovascular Surgery, Busan-Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University. And we retrospectively reviewed these patients' charts for clinical presentations, surgical procedures, pathologic findings and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Result: There were 22 males and 16 females, ages ranged from 1 month after birth to 51 years and mean age was 20.8 years. The main symptoms were 19 fever, cough, sputum production due to recurrent infection, 7 dyspnea, 8 chest discomfort, 4 hemoptysis, but eight patients were asymptomatic. Computed tomography was chosen as diagnostic modalities and available for operation plan for all of patients. For all the cases, surgical resection were performed. Lobectomy was performed in 28 patients, simple excision (resection) in 8 patients, segmentectomy or wedge resection in 2 patients. There were 10 pulmonary sequestrations, 15 congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations (CCAM), 11 bronchogenic cysts, and 2 congenital lobar emphysemas. They all were confirmed by pathologic exams. The complications were 6 wound disruption or infection, 2 chylothorax, 1 ulnar neuropathy, but all of them were resolved uneventful. There was no persistent air leakage, respiratory failure, operative mortality and recurrence. Conclusion: We performed immediate surgical removal of congenital cystic lung lesions after diagnosis and obtained good results, so reported them with literature review.