Bilateral Chylothorax after Neck Dissection

Lymphaticovenous anastomosis for treatment of refractory chylous ascites: A case report

Chylous ascites, the leakage of lymphatic fluid into the abdominal cavity caused by lymphatic fluid stasis or lymphatic vessel damage, can be treated by lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA). We report rarely performed abdominal LVA to treat a case of refractory ascites possibly caused by ligation of the thoracic duct and pleurodesis in a man aged 60 years requiring weekly ascites drainage. Ligation was abandoned because the leakage site was not determined. The greater omentum (GO) was generally edematous and showed lymphatic effusion by gross appearance, and was considered suitable for LVA. We performed once LVA in the lymphatic vessels and veins of the GO using common microsurgical instrumentation and lateral anastomosis. Lymphatic vessels in the omentum were dilated to 2-3 mm, and LVA was simple. After LVA, GO edema improved. Postoperatively, the patient developed paralytic ileus, which improved within a few days, and the patient was discharged without any increase in ascites after starting to diet. One year post-surgery, there was no recurrence of ascites. LVA at the GO may be effective for the treatment of refractory chylous ascites because of its absorptive lymphatic draining capabilities and large transverse vessels.

Role of Interventional Radiology in the Management of Non-aortic Thoracic Trauma

Trauma remains a leading cause of death for all age groups, and nearly two-thirds of these individuals suffer thoracic trauma. Due to the various types of injuries, including vascular and nonvascular, interventional radiology plays a major role in the acute and chronic management of the thoracic trauma patient. Interventional radiologists are critical members in the multidisciplinary team focusing on treatment of the patient with thoracic injury. Through case presentations, this article will review the role of interventional radiology in the management of trauma patients suffering thoracic injuries.

Bilateral Chylothorax Following Neck Dissection: Case Report & Review of Literature

Bilateral Chylothorax following neck dissection is an extremely rare complication. We report a case of bilateral chylothorax detected after neck dissection for carcinoma of lower alveolus. A 61 year Indian female underwent wide excision with segmental mandibulectomy with comprehensive neck dissection for carcinoma of left lower alveolus clinically staged T4N0. Evaluated for dyspnea in post operative period, she was found to have bilateral chylothorax that was managed conservatively. This case report presents potentially life threatening complication following neck dissection that often responds to non surgical management.

Bilateral chylothorax following left supraclavicular lymph node dissection for breast cancer: one case report and literature review

Chylothorax is a rare complication of neck dissection, and bilateral chylothorax is even rarer. However, both are potentially serious and sometimes life-threatening, especially those that are associated with left neck dissection for head and neck neoplasms. We report one case of bilateral chylothorax following left supraclavicular dissection for breast cancer. This case was treated successfully with a new conservative management approach.

Chylothorax after neck dissection for thyroid carcinomas: report of three cases

Chylothorax is a rare complication of neck dissection. We report three cases of chylothorax after neck dissections for thyroid carcinoma and attribute this relatively high incidence to the assumption that most patients are asymptomatic. Thus, conventional chest X-ray or ultrasonography in the early postoperative period may be warranted to exclude asymptomatic chylothorax, especially if the thoracic duct is injured and ligated during the operation. We suggest that for chylothorax induced by ligation of the thoracic duct, which may be transient and resolve quickly, short-term thoracic drainage is enough.

Chylothorax: diagnostic approach

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review evaluates recent research findings and proposes an up-to-date diagnostic approach for patients with suspected chylothorax.

RECENT FINDINGS

Typically, chylothorax is a milky exudate with high triglyceride content (>110 mg/dl). However, milky appearance is not always the case and triglyceride levels can be less than 110 mg/dl, especially in fasting or malnourished patients. Transudative chylothoraces have been reported when cirrhosis, nephrosis or heart failure co-exist. In addition, although the vast majority of the white blood cells in chyle are lymphocytes, chylothoraces can be neutrophilic, especially the postsurgical ones.

SUMMARY

Chylothorax is the accumulation of chyle into the pleural cavity usually due to thoracic duct leak and should be suspected not only in patients with milky effusions but also in the presence of certain co-morbidities or history of chest/neck trauma. Fluid triglycerides more than 110 mg/dl or less than 50 mg/dl virtually establish or exclude the diagnosis, respectively; ambiguous cases with values 50-110 mg/dl require lipoprotein analysis for the demonstration of chylomicrons. In fasting or malnourished patients lipoprotein analysis is suggested even with triglycerides less than 50 mg/dl. Typical pleural fluid in chylothorax is a lymphocytic exudate with low lactate dehydrogenase; atypical fluid characteristics (i.e. transudative nature, neutrophil-predominance or high lactate dehydrogenase) may be a sign of additional causes of pleural fluid accumulation.

Lower-extremity lymphedema following neck dissection – an uncommon complication after cervical ligation of the thoracic duct

Thoracic duct injuries and chylous fistula are well-known complications of neck dissection, occurring in 1-2% of cases. Management of these injuries can be conservative or operative. Conservative treatment consists of fat restricted diet or total parenteral nutrition reducing the volume of chyle production. Operative management includes exploration of the neck or if necessary open thoracotomy to ligate the thoracic duct. Following cervical thoracic duct ligation only few complications like chylothorax or chylous ascites are described in the literature. To the best authors knowledge, this is the first report in the english literature describing lower-extremity lymphedema following cervical thoracic duct ligation.

Three cases of bilateral chylothorax developing after neck dissection

Only 16 cases of bilateral chylothorax following neck dissection have been reported within 10 decades. In this paper, three cases of bilateral chylothorax which developed after neck dissection are reported. In all cases, conservative treatment resulted in resolution of the condition. Diagnosis may be delayed in those who are on total parenteral nutrition, and therefore particular attention should be paid to those patients. It may be difficult to treat cases of chylothorax that develop following neck dissection performed after radiotherapy.

Endoscopic versus open surgical interventions for inverted nasal papilloma: a systematic review

Inverted nasal papilloma is a unique neoplasm characterised by a tendency to recur following excision, an association with malignancy and an ability to destroy bone. The coexistence with nasal polyps (not always sent for histology), the lack of a universally accepted staging system and the fact that most data on Inverted papilloma come from tertiary centres (selected cases probably the most aggressive) account for the difficulty in determining its true incidence. Treatment is surgical. The gold standard approach was an open radical procedure. The introduction of endoscopic surgery for primary or recurrent lesions has shown potential advantages. Lack of complications of open surgery together with improved access to specific nasal areas suggests that the endoscopic techniques in experienced hands and for selected lesions may be a good alternative. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of the endoscopic versus open techniques for management of inverted papilloma. There is not enough evidence in the literature to support one or the other treatment option for management of inverted papilloma. There is a trend though towards endoscopic approach. Ideal management should aim at complete removal of all diseased mucosa with creation of wide cavities and long term follow-up to detect subsequent recurrence or malignant transformation.