Successful treatment of a patient with chyluria due to lymphangioleiomyomatosis using sirolimus

Central Lymphatic Imaging in Adults with Spontaneous Chyluria

Purpose

Chyluria is a rare condition primarily prevalent in developing countries in tropical regions. In chyluria, there exists the communication between lymphatic vessels and the urinary tract, but the specific mechanism of this communication remains undocumented. The objective of this study was to assess the morphology of the main lymphatic vessels including the uro-lymphatic fistula, the thoracic duct using Magnetic Resonance Lymphangiography (MRL) and Intranodal Lymphangiography (IL).

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study spanning five years, from January 2020 to January 2024, included 43 patients diagnosed with chyluria through cystoscopy and quantitative urine testing for triglycerides. These patients underwent MRL and then IL for uro-lymphatic fistula embolization.

Results

The study involved 43 patients with an average age of 66.1 ± 19.5 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2. Uro-lymphatic fistula occurred predominantly in the left kidney (72.1%), followed by the right kidney (20.9%), and both sides (7%). MRL imaging showed the thoracic duct in 100% of cases but visualized only 84.5% of the uro-lymphatic fistulas. In contrast, IL imaging showed the thoracic duct in 51.5% of patients but visualized uro-lymphatic fistulas in 100% of cases. In the procedure of IL, the average visualization time of the thoracic duct was 45 minutes, with a range of 35 to 69 minutes.

Conclusion

MRL and IL complement each other in diagnosing the main lymphatic vessels in chyluria patients. The observed circulatory stasis in the thoracic duct supports the hypothesis that it contributes to increased pressure in the thoracic duct and the formation uro-lymphatic fistula as collateral circulations.

Chyluria-a review of literature and a modified sclerotherapy regimen

Chyluria, described as passage of milky white urine, has been recognized as a urological manifestation of the lymphatic system due to abnormal connection between the blocked and dilated lymphatics and the renal pelvicaliceal systems. We report the case of a 36-year-old female from an endemic area of filariasis in India who presented with chyluria. In addition to medical therapy, intermittent sclerotherapy of renal pelvis with 0.2% povidone iodine was carried out with a dose schedule different from the ones in practice earlier. The idea of intermittent sclerotherapy was to create pyelolymphatic and pyelosinus reflux so as to sclerose the communicating channel between the lymphatic and urinary systems. This method proved to be curative for the patient and she was relieved from her 8-year-old problem and subsequently remained asymptomatic.