Treatment of persistent congenital chylothorax with intrapleural injection of sapylin in infants

Neonatal Chylothoraces: A 10-Year Experience in a Tertiary Neonatal Referral Centre

Background

Neonatal chylothorax is a rare condition, but has a high mortality.

Study Objectives

To analyse the outcomes of a series of neonates with chylothorax and review the literature to determine best practice.

Design

A case series review and a literature review using electronic databases including the key words neonates and chylothorax.

Results

Six cases of neonatal chylothorax were identified during a ten-year period, two had congenital chylothoraces and four iatrogenic chylothoraces after thoracic surgery or chest instrumentation. The neonates were ventilated for a median of 30 (range 13–125) days with a median maximum daily pleural fluid output of 218 (range 86–310) ml/kg/day. All the neonates were given medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) feeds which stabilised pleural fluid output in four and reduced it in another. Octreotide was used in three neonates, but the dosage used had no significant effect on pleural output. Two neonates required surgical intervention. The literature review demonstrated MCT feeds can reduce or stabilise pleural fluid output, but highlighted variable use of octreotide and inconsistent dosing regimens and outcomes. No consensus regarding indications for surgical intervention was identified.

Summary and Conclusion

Neonatal chylothorax is uncommon, but affected neonates require high healthcare utilisation.

Octreotide for congenital and acquired chylothorax in newborns: A systematic review

AIM

Chylothorax is a rare but life-threatening condition in newborns. Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, is widely used as a therapeutic option in neonates with congenital and acquired chylothorax, but its therapeutic role has not been clarified yet.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and safety of octreotide in the treatment of congenital and acquired chylothorax in newborns. Comprehensive research, updated till 31 October 2017, was performed by searching in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases using the MeSH terms 'octreotide' and 'chylothorax'. Both term and preterm newborns with congenital or acquired chylothorax treated with octreotide within the 30th day of life were included. Octreotide treatment was considered effective if a progressive reduction/ceasing in drained chylous effusion occurred.

RESULTS

A total of 39 articles were included. Octreotide was effective in 47% of patients, with a slight but not significant difference between congenital (30/57; 53.3%) and acquired (9/27; 33.3%) chylothorax (P = 0.10). Marked variation in octreotide regimen was observed. The most common therapeutic scheme was intravenous infusion at a starting dose of 1 μg/kg/h, gradually increasing to 10 μg/kg/h according to the therapeutic response. Side effects were reported in 12 of 84 patients (14.3%). Only case reports were included in this review due to the lack of randomised controlled trials.

CONCLUSION

Octreotide is a relatively effective and safe treatment option in neonates with chylothorax, especially for the congenital forms.