Lymphangiomatosis with chylothorax

Linfangiomatose retroperitoneal

Um caso raro de linfangiomatose envolvendo unilateralmente o retroperitôneo, canal femural e rim ipsilateral é relatado. As características clínicas e formas de tratamento são revistas.

Left Functional Pneumonectomy Caused by a Very Rare Giant Intrathoracic Cystic Lesion in a Patient with Gorham-Stout Syndrome: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Gorham-Stout syndrome is an uncommon entity, with few cases reported in bibliography. It consists of osteolytic manifestations affecting various bones and replacing them with lymphangiomatous tissue. With pathophysiology unknown, Gorham-Stout disease affects also cardiorespiratory system usually causing lytic lesions to the bones of the thoracic cage or directly invading the thoracic duct. This is a case report of a unique respiratory manifestation of the disease and a review of its cardiorespiratory complications.

Therapeutic strategies for idiopathic chylothorax

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the study were to present our institutional experience of idiopathic chylothorax in children and to propose therapeutic strategies.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective, single-center study.

PATIENTS

Patients were 6 children (4 boys, 2 girls) presenting with an idiopathic chylothorax diagnosed from the presence of a chylous pleural effusion with triglycerides greater than 1.2 mmol/L and a cellularity greater than 1000 cells/mL with a predominance of lymphocytes.

RESULTS

Median age of onset was 7 years (range, 2-14 years). Initial symptoms included cough (n = 4), tachypnea (n = 4), asthenia (n = 5), abdominal pain (n = 2), and bronchitis (n = 1). Chest radiography showed 2 left, 2 right, and 2 bilateral pleural effusions. Serum biology assessment was normal in all children. Respiratory function assessment at diagnosis revealed a decrease in functional residual capacity in 3 children and a decrease in lung diffusing capacity in 2 children. Initially, all patients received a medium-chain triglyceride diet for 29 months (range, 10-50 months). Total parenteral nutrition was required for 4 patients (for 1-4 months), and somatostatin was tried in one child. Two children required pleuroperitoneal shunting, bilateral in one case. During the follow-up (median duration, 6 years; range, 2-16 years), chylothorax stabilized in all patients and 5 patients were able to return to a normal diet.

CONCLUSION

A medium-chain triglyceride diet associated in some cases with total parenteral nutrition may stabilize idiopathic chylothorax in children. In cases where conservative treatment has failed, pleuroperitoneal shunting may be useful.

Epidural labor analgesia for a patient with disseminated lymphangiomatosis

IMPLICATIONS

We describe a case of a parturient with disseminated lymphangiomatosis involving the thorax, retroperitoneum, and lumbar vertebrae who received epidural labor analgesia. Clinical presentations vary depending on the organ systems involved, the extent of the disease, and the stage of pregnancy. Anesthetic implications are discussed.

Bilateral chylothorax caused by pleuropulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis: a challenging problem in thoracic surgery

Massive left-sided pleural effusion in a 35-year-old man was initially diagnosed as idiopathic spontaneous chylothorax and treated with serial thoracenteses and left thoracotomy. Six weeks later, a right thoracotomy was performed for contralateral chylothorax, and histologic examination revealed lymphangiomyomatosis. The patient survived this rare and potentially fatal disease. We have found no previously published case of bilateral lymphangiomyomatosis treated with separate thoracotomies because of bilateral chylothorax.

Massive chylothorax associated with lymphangiomatosis of the bone

Chylothorax in the absence of tumor or trauma is uncommon. Lymphangiomatosis of the bone, although extremely rare, has been associated with chylothorax. The authors describe the case of a 12-year-old boy who presented with a symptomatic left chylothorax associated with lymphangiomatosis of the ribs, scapula, and clavicle. Despite tube thoracostomies and the initiation of total parenteral nutrition, massive losses of chyle persisted, resulting in hypoproteinemia and severe lymphopenia. Control of the chylothorax was achieved by a parietal pleurectomy and application of fibrin glue (Tisseel). In the literature there are 16 cases of chylothorax associated with lymphangiomatosis of the bone. Their presentation, treatment, and outcome are reviewed. Conservative treatments such as dietary manipulations or thoracenteses were rarely successful. Thoracotomy with parietal pleurectomy on the side of the effusion is usually effective in controlling the chylothorax. Lymphangiomatosis should be considered a diagnostic possibility for any child who presents with a chylothorax.

Chylothorax in Gorham's syndrome. A common complication of a rare disease

One hundred forty-six cases of Gorham's syndrome are documented in the literature. Twenty-five (17 percent) patients have been reported to have chylothorax as a complication. To our knowledge, this high incidence of chylothorax has not been reported previously. We describe two such patients treated by thoracic duct ligation and compared our results with others to support early surgical intervention via a low right-sided thoracotomy in these cases.

Case report: computed tomography of generalized lymphangiomatosis and chylothorax

The diagnosis of lymphangiomatosis can often be made on clinical grounds with the aid of plain radiography. In children with intractable chylothorax computed tomography (CT) of the thorax may reveal the presence of a mediastinal mass but frequently in lymphangiomatosis will not demonstrate any specific features. Abdominal CT, on the other hand, may suggest the diagnosis by the association with intraabdominal lymphangioma.

Diffuse pulmonary lymphangiomatosis

Angiomatous lesions of the lung are uncommon and not well characterized. We describe nine cases of a distinct lymphatic vascular lesion that we have termed "diffuse pulmonary lymphangiomatosis." Extrathoracic lymphangiomatous lesions were not identified. The patients comprised seven males and two females with a mean age at presentation of 10 years (age range, 1 month to 33 years). Six patients were younger than 10 years of age. Symptoms included "wheezing" or "asthma" (44%) and dyspnea (22%) present for 3 months to 20 years. Chest radiographs showed bilateral interstitial infiltrates, often greatest in the lower lobes. Pleural or pericardial effusions were present or developed in six patients. Pulmonary function tests showed in two patients and mixed obstruction and restriction in five patients. Open lung biopsies (nine patients) and autopsy (one patient) showed anastomosing endothelial lined spaces along pulmonary lymphatic routes (especially pleural and interlobular septal) accompanied by asymmetrically spaced bundles of spindle cells, which were prominent in six cases. Hemosiderin deposition often was present in the spindle cell areas and in the adjacent lung. The lining cells were positive for factor VIII-related antigen (eight cases) and Ulex europaeus I agglutinin (four cases). The spindle cells were reactive with antibodies to vimentin (nine cases), desmin (six cases), actin (seven cases), progesterone receptor (seven cases), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (one case); they were negative for estrogen receptor (seven cases), keratin, (eight cases), and HMB-45 (eight cases). Diffuse pulmonary lymphangiomatosis was progressive in eight cases and was most aggressive in the youngest children. Two of the children have died, one of pulmonary hemorrhage and the other after heart-lung transplantation. Diffuse pulmonary lymphangiomatosis is distinct from lymphangiectasis, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis, Kaposi's sarcoma, and kaposiform hemangioendothelioma. Due to its distribution and histology, a lymphatic origin of the lesion is favored.

Generalized lymphangiomatosis and chylothorax in the pediatric age group

Four patients with generalized lymphangiomatosis presenting with chylothoraces are described. All four had bone involvement, two had involvement of the spleen, and one of the pericardium. The diagnosis was confirmed by typical radiology, histology, and in three patients by immunohistochemistry. Treatment was mainly palliative. Three patients died within 1/2 to three years of presentation.

Generalised lymphangiomatosis with chylothorax

A 9 month old boy presented with acute respiratory distress and was found to have a left pleural effusion. The chylous nature of the effusion, multiple bony lytic lesions, and splenic cysts lead to the diagnosis of congenital lymphangiomatosis with chylothorax. Surgical intervention including pleurectomy was required after unsuccessful conservative management.

Multiple nerve palsies in beta thalassaemia major

A patient with beta thalassaemia major is described who developed a lower motor neurone facial nerve palsy on the left side, together with a phrenic nerve palsy on the same side, during the course of the illness. This complication has not been reported before in haemoglobinopathies.

Primary disorders of the lymphatic vessels--a unified concept

Congenital defects of lymphatics constitute a spectrum of disorders that may manifest with a variety of clinical presentations including lymphedema, chylous effusions, lymphangiomatous malformations with cystic masses and localized gigantism, and intestinal lymphangiectasia with malabsorption. These entities constitute a relatively rare group of disorders, the origin of which remains somewhat controversial, but in some it appears to be due to early lymphatic obstruction. Five cases are described, which demonstrate the anatomical pathology of these entities. A classification and description of the defects is also presented. An attempt is made to present a unified theory of origin for this seemingly diverse group of diseases. While these entities may be challenging from a diagnostic and therapeutic standpoint, a wide variety of imaging modalities, which includes lymphography, computed tomography scanning, and ultrasound, may be used to diagnose the extent and internal structural characteristics of the abnormalities.

Intrathoracic lymphangioma

Of 14 cases of intrathoracic lymphangioma, 4 occurred in the anterior, 5 in the superior, and 4 in the posterior mediastinum. One lesion was diffuse and associated with disappearing bone disease (Gorham's disease). The anterior mediastinal lymphangiomas occurred in adults and seemed to arise from the mediastinum. They could not be distinguished from other anterior mediastinal lesions on plain film roentgenograms. The lesions of the superior mediastinum were extensions from cystic hygromas of the neck and occurred primarily in children. Recurrence was common because complete resection was not possible. Computed tomography was helpful in detecting the cervical extension and cystic nature of these lesions. Although two of the four posterior compartment lesions were isolated lymphangiomas, the other two were part of a much more extensive and generalized lymphangiomatosis that included bone lesions and subdiaphragmatic extension. Both of these latter cases were complicated by chylothorax after attempted removal of the mediastinal lymphangioma. Computed tomography and lymphangiography were helpful in determining the extent of the disease and the cystic and lymphatic nature of the mass. The patient with Gorham's disease had extensive lymphangiomatosis of the thorax and recurrent chylothorax; surgical treatment was unsuccessful. Although lymphangioma is a benign tumor, its infiltrative tendency complicates its removal and contributes to its postoperative recurrence.

Primary lymphatic dysplasia in children: chylothorax, chylous ascites, and generalized lymphatic dysplasia

Primary lymphatic "dysplasia", a congenital maldevelopment, interferes with function of the lymphatic system and causes effusion of chyle or lymph into the limbs and pleural or peritoneal cavity. Between 1955 and 1982, 38 Mayo Clinic patients were found to have a chylous effusion or dysplasia of the lymphatic system. In 22, the condition was secondary to surgery or other medical problems and in 16 it was primary. These cases were separated into three categories: chylothorax, chylous ascites, and generalized lymphatic dysplasia. Conservative therapy, such as a restricted fat diet or total parenteral nutrition with repeated thoracentesis or paracentesis, was effective in the children with isolated abnormalities of the lymphatic system (75% resolution rate, no deaths). All five children with documented generalized dysplasia reported in the literature had died; of the three reported here, one has died and two have become progressively worse.

Thoracic surgical problems in infancy and childhood

Thoracic surgical problems in infants and children range from congenital anomalies to acquired inflammatory problems. This article reviews the most common parenchymal, pleural, and mediastinal problems encountered in infants and children and presents recommendations for prompt and accurate diagnosis and therapy.

Pleuropulmonary and skeletal lymphangiomatosis with chylothorax and chylopericardium

Congenital lymphangiomatosis of lung and bone, with or without chylothorax, is a rare but often fatal systemic lymphatic malformation. In those who survive infancy and early childhood, parietal pleurectomy with excision of lymphatic lakes and ligation of the thoracic duct can be successful. Two patients with lymphangiomatosis are described, 1 with chylothorax and chylopericardium with generalized skeletal lesions and the other with pleuropulmonary lesions and chylothorax. Both were successfully treated with parietal pleurectomy, excision of lymphatic lakes, and ligation of lymphatics, including the thoracic duct. To our knowledge, the triad of generalized skeletal lymphangiomatosis, chylopericardium, and chylothorax has not been previously reported.

Progressive vertebral collapse in diffuse angiomatosis

A case of vanishing bone disease is presented, with radiologic, endoscopic, and peritoneoscopic evidence of angiomatous involvement of the bones, surrounding soft tissues, and gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis was made by a combination of radiologic techniques and endoscopy. Areas of absent bone were shown to opacify after intralymphatic injections of contrast material, providing in vivo demonstrations that these areas of vanishing bone are occupied by abnormal lymphatics. The etiology remains obscure, but our review of the literature suggests that this condition may be one of a large spectrum of disorders due to a basic underlying endothelial dysplasia. The lymphatic system, vascular system, or both may be involved, and the condition may manifest itself as an abnormality of the bones, soft tissues, viscera, or a combination of these.

Neonatal chylothorax: a report and discussion of nine consecutive cases

We here report the clinical findings and management of 9 consecutive cases of chylothorax, 5 of which occurred spontaneously. One cases followed cardiac surgery. Three cases occurred in low-birth-weight, premature infants concurrently with other symptoms of the superior vena cava syndrome secondary to central intravenous nutrition. To our knowledge, this is the first description of chylothorax as a possible complication of total parenteral nutrition in newborn babies. In our treatment of chylothorax in the newborn, we employed diagnostic thoracentesis followed by chest tube drainage and a medium chain triglyceride diet.

Lymphangiomyomatosis syndrome with hyperparathyroidism: a case report

A 48-year-old woman presented with the classical clinicopathological features of the lymphangiomyomatosis syndrome. After a three year stable period, there was the onset of a rapidly progressive downhill course unresponsive to dietary, bronchodilator and corticosteroid therapy. Pathological findings were characterized by widespread pulmonary, thoracic duct and lymph node involvement. There was a mediastinal lymphangiomyoma growing within the distal thoracic duct, and a similar lesion within the left kidney which could clinically mimic an angiomyolipoma. Comments are also made on the finding of a parathyroid adenoma. The physiopathology and possible resemblance to "formes frustes" of tuberous sclerosis are discussed.

Chylothorax in two mongoloid infants

Two newborns with stigmata of Down syndrome required resuscitation at birth because of unilateral congenital chylous pleural effusion. After thoracentesis, ventilation was improved. Congenital chylous pleural effusion in newborns with Down syndrome has not previously been described. Pleural effusion at birth must be promptly diagnosed and aspirated.

Lymphangiography and bone scan in the study of lymphangiomatosis

Lymphangiomatosis is a rare congenital systemic lymphatic malformation involving multiple bones and other sites. A 12-year old boy with lymphangiomatosis was studied with lymphangiography and bone scan. Lymphangiogram demonstrated irregular pooling of contrast medium in both the mediastinal tumor and bones. Bone scan also revealed increased activity in areas which were not demonstrated radiographically.