Hydrothorax in fetal cases of Opitz G/BBB diagnosis: Extending the phenotype?

We report two fetal cases carrying a de novo MID1 mutation and presenting with severe hydrothorax, suggesting the expansion of the phenotype of Opitz GBBB syndrome.

Prophylactic fat-free diet in patients undergoing lobectomy for lung cancer does not decrease postoperative chylothorax: Results from a single-center retrospective study

PURPOSE

Reliable measures to prevent chylothorax following lobectomy are lacking. Herein a case-control study was conducted to investigate the effect of prophylactic fat-free diet on the incidence of chylothorax after thoracoscopic lobectomy and systemic lymph node dissection (SLND) for lung cancer.

METHODS

Between January 2015 and December 2017, the patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer who underwent lobectomy and SLND were retrospectively reviewed. Patients in the prophylactic group started fat-free diet one week before the surgery until removal of the chest tubes after the operation; while those in the control group took normal diet unless the onset of chylothorax. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify the predictive factors of chylothorax following lobectomy.

RESULTS

The data of 110 patients in the control group and 115 cases in the prophylactic group were collected. The patients in prophylactic group showed less intraoperative blood loss [(79.9±48.7) mL vs. (100.9±55.6) mL, p=0.003], reduced postoperative drainage volume [(504.3±268.0) mL vs. (714.1±618.5) mL, p=0.001], and shorter chest tube duration [(3.6±1.7) days vs. (4.2±2.6) days, p=0.014]; however, a similar incidence of chylothorax [3 (2.6%) vs. 7 (6.4%), p=0.207] was recorded. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that neoadjuvant therapy was an independent positive factor of chylothorax (odd ratio [OR] = 9.257; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.434-59.773, p=0.019); whereas high-volume experience of the surgeon was an independent negative factor of this complication (OR = 0.129; 95% CI 0.017-0.982, p=0.048).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic fat-free diet does not decrease the incidence of chylothorax after lobectomy. Further well-designed trials are warranted to verify this occasional finding.

Primary versus trauma-induced Gorham-Stout disease

Gorham-Stout disease - also known as "disappearing bone disease" is currently considered a single entity with varying clinical manifestations. We reviewed the existent literature from the earliest historic description(Jackson in 1838) and Gorham and Stout's original series of patients, multiple case reports and series since. After analyzing 212 reported cases, we identified 76 cases with details that recorded either a history of multifocal disease or an identifiable history of preceding trauma. From this review, we have defined two distinct Gorham-Stout entities - those characteristically associated with lymphangiomatosis [a form of GLA (generalized lymphangiomatosis) questionably distinguishable by bone biopsy and radiologic appearance] with multifocal distributed bone lesions, and those others, usually self-limited, first appearing after a traumatic event and always confined to a single bone or closely adjacent one. Multifocal disease is more likely to have chylothorax as a complication. These two Gorham-Stout entities differ in their demographic distribution, clinical history and manifestations, and they follow divergent clinical courses. The prognosis differs, and so should approaches to monitoring as well as acute and long-term treatment. Further research should seek to identify and define the differences in pathology and molecular mechanisms.

Schimmelpenning Syndrome: An Association with Vascular Anomalies

Objective:

Schimmelpenning syndrome is a rare neurocutaneous disorder characterized by craniofacial nevus sebaceus in association with seizures, developmental delay, and ocular or skeletal pathology. Vascular anomalies also have been described in this condition, and some authors have suggested that the two entities are associated. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vascular anomalies in Schimmelpenning syndrome.

Methods:

We reviewed the medical records of patients with Schimmelpenning syndrome who were evaluated or were managed at Children's Hospital Boston between 1980 and 2005. In addition, all published cases purported to be Schimmelpenning syndrome were analyzed to determine whether the primary diagnosis was accurate and whether or not there were concurrent vascular anomalies.

Results:

Three of nine patients (33.3%) in our series had a vascular malformation. One patient had coarctation, aortic aneurysm, renal artery, and carotid stenosis; another had a thoracic lymphatic anomaly with chylothorax; and the third had lymphedema of the lower extremities and lymphatic malformation of the neck/chest with chylothorax. Additional findings were seizures (78%), ocular pathology (78%), developmental delay (56%), and skeletal abnormalities (67%). Of 119 cases of authenticated Schimmelpenning syndrome in the literature, 18 vascular malformations were documented in 15 patients (12.6%): venous (n = 7); arterial (n = 5); lymphatic (n = 3); capillary (n = 2); and arteriovenous (n = 1).

Conclusions:

Vascular malformations occur with a higher frequency (12.6 to 33%) in patients with Schimmelpenning syndrome compared with the general population (<1%). Therefore, we conclude that there is an association between vascular anomalies and Schimmelpenning syndrome.

Bilateral spontaneous chylothorax after severe vomiting in children

OBJECTIVE

To report the case of a child with bilateral chylothorax due to infrequent etiology: thoracic duct injury after severe vomiting.

CASE DESCRIPTION

Girl, 7 years old, with chronic facial swelling started after hyperemesis. During examination, she also presented with bilateral pleural effusion, with chylous fluid obtained during thoracentesis. After extensive clinical, laboratory, and radiological investigation of the chylothorax etiology, it was found to be secondary to thoracic duct injury by the increased intrathoracic pressure caused by the initial manifestation of vomiting, supported by lymphoscintigraphy findings.

COMMENTS

Except for the neonatal period, chylothorax is an infrequent finding of pleural effusion in children. There are various causes, including trauma, malignancy, infection, and inflammatory diseases; however, the etiology described in this study is poorly reported in the literature.

Chylothorax Associated with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

An 80-year-old man who had suffered from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and achieved complete remission was admitted to our hospital due to right pleural effusion. Thoracentesis revealed that the effusion was chyle. Lymphoscintigraphy showed an obstruction of the thoracic duct below the sternum. CD45-gated flow cytometry of the pleural effusion showed elevated numbers of CD5- and CD23-positive lymphocytes and a high serum level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor. These results suggested that the chylothorax was caused by the obstruction of the thoracic duct by the sludging of either abnormal lymphocytes of CLL or transformed malignant lymphoma cells.

[Nontraumatic chylopericardium and chylothorax in premature neonates]

Deaths of extremely premature babies undiagnosed as having spontaneous chylopericardium (CP) and chylothorax (CT) are analyzed. The specific features of these death cases are the polyetiology of CP/CT and the similarity of their pathogenesis in the absence of specific clinical symptomatology.

[Clinical analysis of 2 cases with chylothorax due to primary lymphatic dysplasia and review of literature]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of 2 cases with chylothorax due to primary lymphatic dysplasia and to elevate pediatrician's recognition level for this disease.

METHOD

Clinical manifestations of the children were retrospectively analyzed. Primary lymphatic dysplasia was diagnosed by lymphoscintigraphy.

RESULT

The first patient was a male aged 2-year-7-month who presented with a history of tachypnea for 43 days, fever and sore throat for 5 days at the early stage of the illness. He had a history of external injury before his illness. Physical examination showed his left chest bulging and left side diminished breath sound. His pleural effusion showed dark red (It was divided into two layers after standing, the upper layer turned into milky white, and the lower turned into hemorrhagic liquid) . White blood cell (WBC) count was 9 000×10(6)/L, mononuclear cell was 0.9, polykaryocytes was 0.1, triglyceride was 12.37 mmol/L in the pleural effusion. Contrast-enhanced lung CT (revascularization) showed pericardial effusion and a massive left sided pleural effusion. The second patient was a male aged 9 years and 6 months, who presented with a history of cough for 24 days, intermittent fever, vomiting, abdominal pain for 19 days, and edema of lower limbs for 4 days. Physical examination showed edema in both eyelids, lower extremities and scrotum. The level of albumin was 14 g/L and the titer of Mycoplasma pneumoniae IgM was 1: 320 in the serum. His hydrothorax pleural effusion showed milk white. White blood cell (WBC) count was 74×10(6)/L, mononuclear cell was 0.78, polykaryocytes was 0.22, triglyceride was 1.01 mmol/L in the pleural effusion. Chyle test showed positive in his pleural effusion and seroperitoneum. High-resolution CT of the lung revealed bilateral interstitial and parenchymal infiltration and both sided pleural effusion. Abdominal ultrasound showed giant hypertrophy of the gastric mucosa and massive ascites. Gastroscopy showed giant hypertrophy of the gastric mucosa. Lymphoscintigraphy revealed primary lymphatic dysplasia in both children.

CONCLUSION

Primary lymphatic dysplasia might occur in children and result in dropsy of serous cavity (chylothorax, chylopericardium, chylous ascites). Dropsy of serous cavity showed bloody or milk white. WBC count might elevate with lymphocyte increasing mostly, triglyceride was often higher than 1.0 mmol/L in dropsy of serous cavity. Primary lymphatic dysplasia can be diagnosed by lymphoscintigraphy.

[Pleural lymphatics and effusions]

The pleural lymphatic system has a great absorption capacity. Its most known function is fluid resorption. The pleura which cover the lungs (visceral pleura), the mediastinum, diaphragm and thoracic wall (parietal pleura) are formed by a mesothelial cell layer (mesothelium). This permeable layer is in direct contact with the vascular endothelium. The mesothelium is based over a connective tissue (interstitium) containing the blood and lymphatic vessels. The primary lymphatic vessels drain interstitium but are also in direct contact with pleural space by the stoma or openings, situated in the lower parts of parietal pleura, i.e: diaphragm, over lower ribs and mediastinum but not existing in the adjacent visceral pleura. In addition, a part of interstitial pulmonary fluid entered in the pleural cavity by passing the visceral pleura would be absorbed by these openings. The resorption process is active and directly related to the function of smooth muscles of lymphatic vessels. Besides resorption, we must emphasize that this "pumping" activity is permanent and the origin of negative pressure (the pleural void) in pleural cavity, a unique property. The other resorbed elements are molecules, bacterial and cellular debris, cells, red blood and cancer cells.

[Waldenström macroglobulinemia complicated with chylothorax]

An 81-year-old male had been diagnosed with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) eight years previously and had thus been administered appropriate treatment. Left chylothorax later developed at 3 years and 8 months after the initial diagnosis. He was hospitalized with severe anemia, general fatigue, and appetite loss one year prior to this presentation and died due to a severe fungal infection. Autopsy revealed the presence of 1,300 ml chylothorax and infiltration of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) cells throughout his entire body. LPL cells were found to have invaded the excitation conducting system in the heart. In an evaluation of a resected lung tissue specimen of pneumothorax, subpleural infiltrated lymphoid cells were observed to show immunohistochemical positivity for IgM and bcl-2. Although these lymphoid cells were initially considered to be non-neoplastic lymphocytes, they were later determined to be LPL cells, which thus induced dilatation and proliferation of the lymph vessels. Chylothorax complications in patients with WM are rare events and only six such cases have so far been reported. The present case is considered to be an instructive one in which autopsy suggested the invasion of LPL cells to be involved in the development of arrhythmia, pneumothorax, and chylothorax before death.

[Lymphangioleiomyomatosis of lungs and spontaneous pneumochylothorax]

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis occupies a special place among rare systemic diseases of lungs, which are manifested by respiratory failure and the gradual development of pulmonary heart. Manifestations of the pleural cavity in the form of pneumothorax and pleural effusion syndrome are characteristic for the disease. In order to verify the process, the authors recommend a study of pleural punctate with Sudan-III for detection of lymph and a CT-scanning after removal of the contents of the pleural cavity. "Cell" pattern of lungs in combination with chylothorax confirm the diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis. In particularly complex cases, in their opinion, the lung and pleura biopsy is required.

[A case of spontaneous chylothorax complicating pregnancy]

The paper gives a clinical case of left-sided chylothorax developing in a young woman in the second half of pregnancy due to thrombosis of the left internal jugular vein, left subclavian vein, and brachiocephalic trunk. Cesarean section was made. Medical treatment thereafter proved to be effective. The possible mechanisms for spontaneous venous thrombosis and chylothorax during pregnancy and the methods of their diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

Connexin37 and Connexin43 deficiencies in mice disrupt lymphatic valve development and result in lymphatic disorders including lymphedema and chylothorax

Intraluminal valves are required for the proper function of lymphatic collecting vessels and large lymphatic trunks like the thoracic duct. Despite recent progress in the study of lymphvasculogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, the molecular mechanisms controlling the morphogenesis of lymphatic valves remain poorly understood. Here, we report that gap junction proteins, or connexins (Cxs), are required for lymphatic valvulogenesis. Cx37 and Cx43 are expressed early in mouse lymphatic development in the jugular lymph sacs, and later in development these Cxs become enriched and differentially expressed by lymphatic endothelial cells on the upstream and downstream sides of the valves. Specific deficiencies of Cx37 and Cx43 alone or in combination result in defective valve formation in lymphatic collecting vessels, lymphedema, and chylothorax. We also show that Cx37 regulates jugular lymph sac size and that both Cx37 and Cx43 are required for normal thoracic duct development, including valve formation. Another Cx family member, Cx47, whose human analog is mutated in some families with lymphedema, is also highly enriched in a subset of endothelial cells in lymphatic valves. Mechanistically, we present data from Foxc2-/- embryos suggesting that Cx37 may be a target of regulation by Foxc2, a transcription factor that is mutated in human lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome. These results show that at least three Cxs are expressed in the developing lymphatic vasculature and, when defective, are associated with clinically manifest lymphatic disorders in mice and man.

Surgical management of cervical chyloma following parathyroidectomy

Although rare, chylomas can present as a neck mass, especially in the post-operative setting. Here, we present a case of a persistent cervical chyloma following parathyroidectomy and propose a management algorithm for this clinical entity.

X-linked myotubular myopathy and chylothorax

X-linked myotubular myopathy usually presents at birth with hypotonia and respiratory distress. Phenotypic presentation, however, can be extreme variable. We report on a newborn baby, who presented with the severe form of the disease. In the second week of life, he developed a clinically relevant chylothorax, needing drainage and treatment with octreotide acetate. Pleural effusions are frequently described in patients with congenital myotonic dystrophy. To our knowledge, the association of chylothorax and X-linked myotubular myopathy has not been described to date. As chylothorax could not be attributed to any evident condition in this child, perhaps it may be added to the clinical spectrum of X-linked myotubular myopathy.

Chylothorax and chylopericardium as the initial clinical manifestation of Behcet’s disease

Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic relapsing systemic vasculitic disorder affecting the arteries, veins, and vessels of any size. Large vein thrombosis in BD is not commonly developed and most commonly observed in the veins in the lower extremities and inferior or superior vena cava. In this report, a 18-year-old male patient with large vein thrombosis involving superior vena cava was presented. He was treated due to chylothorax and chylopericardium with SVC syndrome before diagnosis of BD. SVC thrombosis complicated by chylothorax and chyolpericardium can be a rare presenting initial symptom of BD.

Idiopathic primary chylopericardium in a dog

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 7-year-old spayed female Labrador Retriever was evaluated because of pericardial effusion.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

The dog had a history of decreased appetite and exercise intolerance of 3 days' duration. Thoracic radiography performed by the referring veterinarian revealed a large cardiac silhouette. Heart sounds were muffled. Echocardiographic findings were indicative of severe pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade; no pleural effusion was identified. Pericardiocentesis yielded a considerable amount of chylous fluid. A diagnosis of chylopericardium in the absence of pleural effusion was made.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Conservative management was not effective, and subtotal pericardectomy and thoracic duct ligation were recommended. Surgery was postponed by the owners for 25 days, at which time the dog had both chylopericardium and chylothorax. The dog underwent subtotal pericardectomy and thoracic duct ligation; to delineate the thoracic duct, intraoperative lymphangiography was performed by injection of a radiopaque contrast agent directly into a mesenteric lymph node and subsequent injection of methylene blue solution into another mesenteric lymph node. Surgical treatment resulted in complete resolution of the clinical signs and pleural effusion.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the development of chylopericardium prior to development of chylothorax in a dog. Treatment with thoracic duct ligation and pericardectomy resulted in complete resolution of the effusion and clinical signs.

Eosinophilic Pancreatic Infiltration as a Manifestation of Lung Carcinoma

A 68-year-old man reported upper abdominal pain during the previous 3 months that worsened in the last 2 days. He had a history of lung squamous cell carcinoma for which he underwent right lung lobectomy 3 years earlier. Preliminary blood tests showed leucocytosis with marked eosinophilia. No evidence of recurrent malignancy was detected, but computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed an enlarged and edematous pancreas with hyperemia and infiltration of the peripancreatic fat. Fine needle aspiration from the lesion revealed inflammatory infiltration predominantly composed of eosinophils. The diagnosis of eosinophilic pancreatitis was suggested and the patient was placed on prednisone, but without any clinical or laboratory improvement. Two months later, the patient developed severe dyspnea, chylothorax, and acute renal failure. Cytologic studies of the pleural fluid revealed malignant cells from recurrent lung squamous cell carcinoma. The disease course was characterized by rapid deterioration and a fatal outcome. To the authors' knowledge, eosinophilic pancreatic infiltration as a manifestation of lung carcinoma has not been previously reported.

[Chylothorax of cirrhotic origin: a case report]

Chylothorax and chylous ascites are an accumulation of fluid containing a large proportion of triglycerides. The presence of these two effusions simultaneously is rare. A case of a patient with a known history of cirrhosis, hospitalized for an ascetic decompensation with left pleural effusion is herein presented. The woman was diagnosed as presenting both chylous ascites and chylothorax. Both fluids are transudate type fluids. After evacuation of the fluids and implementation of an adapted treatment neither effusion reappeared. The patient has been followed for the past year and has not shown any signs of relapse. Chylothorax, in cirrhotic patients is due to trans-diaphragmatic passage of fluid originating from the chylous ascites. Both extravasations have the same biological characteristics.

Chylothorax as a possible diagnostic pitfall: a report of 2 cases with cytologic findings

BACKGROUND

Chyothorax is an uncommon medical condition. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no detailed English-language report dealing with its cytopathologic findings and diagnostic pitfalls

CASES

A 12-year-old boy, hemodialysis dependent, with congenital nephrotic syndrome due to focal segmental glomerular sclerosis and a failed renal transplant, developed shortness of breath. Physical and radiologic examinations revealed a left pleural effusion. A 7-year-old boy developed shortness of breath, with a subsequent finding of a left pleural effusion. Multiple osteolytic skeletal lesions were found in this patient. Both patients underwent thoracocentesis. Cytologically, both fluids contained many relatively uniform, large lymphoid cells with high nuclear/cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio, condensed chromatin and occasional nucleoli, resembling blasts. Some nuclei were convoluted. Mitotic figures were present. Foamy macrophages were present in both cases. The differential diagnosis of these populations of cells included a lymphoproliferative disorder. However, the mature T-lymphocytic nature of the cells was confirmed by immunohistochemistry performed on cell block preparations, confirming the clinical impression of chylothorax in both cases. The first patient had chylothorax as a result of trauma due to therapeutic interventions (subclavian vein cannulation), in the second patient the chylothorax was a part of Gorham-Stout syndrome.

CONCLUSION

The large T-lymphocytes that are the major cellular component of chylothorax may arouse suspicion of a lymphoproliferative disorder. Attention to the clinical history and immunophenotyping confirm the benign nature of the pleural space fluid. Also, abundant foamy macrophages can be considered a low-power clue to this diagnosis.

Recurrent chylothorax in a patient with non-Hodgkins lymphoma: case report

Spontaneous chylothorax could arise as a complication of Iymphoma. There are no reports on the frequency of it's occurrence. It is associated with a high mortality rate. This is mainly due to severe nutritional deficiencies and wasting. This case describes a patient with non-Hodgkins Iymphoma who developed recurrent bilateral chylothorax requiring repeated pleural aspirations and eventually talc pleurodesis which failed.

[Case report. Restrictive cardiomyopathy with chylothorax in a cat: the pathogenesis]

A 8.5 year old castrated female domestic short-haired cat was presented because of progressive dyspnea, inappetence and weight loss. Special examinations revealed a chylothorax. In addition a restrictive cardiomyopathy was suspected. The cat was euthanized. The histopathologic examination of the heart confirmed the diagnosis of restrictive cardiomyopathy. The examination of the ductus thoracicus showed a intramural fibrosis with additional edema and a interstitial partly perivascular inflammation. The coherence between feline cardiopathy and chylothorax was discussed speculatively in previous reports. In this report we show a possible aetiopathology.

[Surgery for chylothorax]

Chyle is lymph fluid of intestinal origin containing fat digestion products. Chylothorax is produced by leaks from the thoracic duct or from one of its collaterals subsequent to valve incompetence. These leaks may be due to trauma (post-surgical chylothorax, the most frequent) or to spontaneous rupture of a lymph vessel distended by chyle reflux, the thoracic duct itself being pathological. When the thoracic duct is interrupted (obstruction, agenesis), chylothorax may occur from leakage due to reflux within substitution collateral pathways diverting the flow of chyle into the venoux confluents of the neck. Medical treatment is always attempted first: evacuation of chylothorax by drainage and fat-free diet or parenteral nutrition. Recently, treatment with octreotide has been found to be beneficial. Surgery consists in thoracic duct ligation or suture of leaking collaterals. In difficult cases, when the chyle leakage cannot be identified, pleurodesis is the only option.

Isolated non-chylous pleural effusion in two neonates

Isolated pleural effusion, so called primary pleural effusion denotes a pleural effusion without documented etiology such as a cardiac, inflammatory, iatrogenic problem or fetal hydrops. Chromosomal anomaly such as Down syndrome may be associated with isolated pleural effusion. The content of the isolated pleural effusion is mostly chylous, and isolated non-chylous pleural effusion in neonate is rare. We experienced 2 cases of isolated non-chylous pleural effusion. They had neither cardiac problem nor other sign of hydrops fetalis. Imaging diagnosis was done by plain chest radiography and subsequent ultrasonogram. One of them was diagnosed to Down syndrome by karyotyping. They were fared well after diagnostic and therapeutic thoracentesis. We describe 2 cases of non-chylous pleural effusion and review a few English-language case reports of this entity.

Chylothorax in Gorham's disease

A 25-yr-old woman presented with a right pleural effusion. Destruction of 9th through 12th ribs, adjacent vertebral bodies, and transverse processes was noted on plain radiograph and a large low-attenuated, irregular shaped mass lesion with peripheral rim enhancement, destroying vertebral body and transverse process, was revealed on the computed tomographic scan. Magnetic resonance imaging showed high signal on T1- weighted image and iso- and low signal on T2-weighted image for the mass lesion replacing the vertebral bony cortex and marrow space. An open rib biopsy revealed the histopathological changes of Gorham's disease (essential osteolysis), even though only bloody fluid filling the empty space and rib and vertebral transverse process destruction were grossly observed on operation. Even though there was no definite response to radiotherapy and pleurodesis, the patient showed stable condition up to 20 months after diagnosis.

Spontaneous chylothorax in a case of cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome

A patient is reported who fulfills the diagnostic criteria for severe cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome who developed a chylothorax. Lymphatic abnormalities have previously only been reported in Noonan syndrome.

[Chylothorax]

PHYSIOLOGY: Chylothorax corresponds to the intrathoracic presence of chyle. Chyle is a lymph of intestinal origin containing the product of digested fat. This lymph joins the blood circulation through the thoracic duct. The thoracic duct receives a part of the lymphatic drainage from the viscera below the diaphragm, from the diaphragm and from the sterno-costal wall.

PHYSIOPATHOLOGY

Intrapleural chyle issue is explained by an acquired or spontaneous lesion of the thoracic duct or of one of its collaterals in the thorax. The iatrogenic or spontaneous lesions of the collaterals suggest that the latter are incontinent and have lost their valve capacity, and hence provoke a reflux of chyle from the thoracic duct. The anatomy of the chylothorax (occasionally pathological) can be specified by a pedal lymphography. FROM A THERAPEUTIC POINT OF VIEW: Treatment, essentially medical, can be completed by surgery. The medical treatment is based on re-nutrition and a diet excluding fat, supplemented by medium chain triglycerides. Surgery consists in pleural symphysis and/or suture of the damaged collaterals, or ligature of the thoracic duct. The indications depend on the severity of the chyle leakage and the type of original lesion. The indications therefore depend on the etiology and clinical evolution of each case. These different treatments, isolated or combined, lead to the regression of the effusion in nearly all cases.

Thoracic duct tributaries from intrathoracic organs

BACKGROUND

The thoracic duct (TD) is the main collecting vessel of the lymphatic system. Little is known about the intrathoracic tributaries of the TD, which are named intercostal, mediastinal, and bronchomediastinal trunks. The purpose of the study was to identify the lymphatic tributaries from intrathoracic organs to the thoracic duct.

METHODS

The study was performed on 530 adult cadavers. The lymphatics of different organs were catheterized and injected with a dye: lungs (n = 360), heart (n = 90), esophagus (n = 50), and diaphragm (n = 30). The lymphatic tributaries draining the lymph from these organs to the thoracic duct were dissected along their course to the thoracic duct and classified.

RESULTS

The TD tributaries were observed in 147 cases: right lung (n = 46), left lung (n = 69), heart (n = 8), esophagus (n = 13), and diaphragm (n = 11). Connections with the TD were observed at its origin (n = 13), within the mediastinum (n = 87), and at the level of the TD arch (n = 47). Tributaries from the lung issued from lower paratracheal nodes 4 R (n = 14) and 4 L (n = 31), subaortic 5 (n = 4), subcarinal 7 (n = 18), pulmonary ligament 9 (n = 7), upper tracheal 2 L (n = 28), paraortic 6 (n = 11), and celiac nodes (n = 2). Tributaries from the heart connected with the TD in the mediastinum in 1 case (4 L) and with the TD arch in 7 cases. Tributaries from the esophagus connected with the thoracic duct within the mediastinum in 13 cases; anodal routes were frequent (n = 5). The TD tributaries from the diaphragm were observed in 11 cases, always connecting with the TD at its origin.

CONCLUSIONS

Injection of intrathoracic organs permits visualization of TD tributaries. These tributaries appear located at unchanging levels. Lymph of intrathoracic organs may thus drain into the general circulation through the TD. The tributaries may represent a potential route for tumor cells dissemination. When incompetent, due to valve insufficiency, they permit chylous lymph to backflow into the intrathoracic lymph nodes. Injury at this level may lead to intrathoracic chylous effusions.

Bilateral chylothorax due to retrosternal goiter in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Chylous pleural effusion, or chylothorax, usually results from obstruction to or disruption of the thoracic duct. Malignant etiologies are the most common cause of chylothorax, lymphoma accounting for the majority of non-traumatic chylous effusions. We report an unusual case of bilateral chylothorax associated with a retrosternal toxic multinodular goiter in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. An ablative dose of 131I was administered with apparent initial clinical improvement. The pathogenesis of chylothorax and therapeutic considerations are discussed.

Net-targeted mutant mice develop a vascular phenotype and up-regulate egr-1

The ternary complex factors (TCFs) Net, Elk-1 and Sap-1 regulate immediate early genes through serum response elements (SREs) in vitro, but, surprisingly, their in vivo roles are unknown. Net is a repressor that is expressed in sites of vasculogenesis during mouse development. We have made gene-targeted mice that express a hypomorphic mutant of Net, Net delta, which lacks the Ets DNA-binding domain. Strikingly, homozygous mutant mice develop a vascular defect and up-regulate an immediate early gene implicated in vascular disease, egr-1. They die after birth due to respiratory failure, resulting from the accumulation of chyle in the thoracic cage (chylothorax). The mice have dilated lymphatic vessels (lymphangiectasis) as early as E16.5. Interestingly, they express more egr-1 in heart and pulmonary arteries at E18.5. Net negatively regulates the egr-1 promoter and binds specifically to SRE-5. Egr-1 has been associated with pathologies involving vascular stenosis (e.g. atherosclerosis), and here egr-1 dysfunction could possibly be associated with obstructions that ultimately affect the lymphatics. These results show that Net is involved in vascular biology and egr-1 regulation in vivo.

Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasia: a case report of thoracic duct agenesis

We present a 17-year-old Caucasian male with congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasia and an absent thoracic duct. This patient is unique as he did not present with the disorder until age 9.5 years. Since his initial presentation he has had recurrent chylothoraces and has been treated symptomatically. We discuss the possible implications of his disorder as well as some of the limited treatment that is available.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the fetus in congenital intrathoracic disorders: preliminary observations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide high-quality images of the intrathoracic organs. We studied the ability of MRI to define spatial relationships of the fetal lungs and measured lung volume in two cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), one of severe oligohydramnios secondary to bilateral cystic renal dysplasia and one case of prenatal chylothorax.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed pelvic MRI using single-shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) pulse sequence in four pregnant women referred because of abnormal prenatal ultrasound (US) findings associated with pulmonary hypoplasia.

RESULTS

The exact anatomic position of the contents of the hernia in CDH, including the position of the liver, was better defined with MRI. Pleural effusions were identified as well as the renal abnormality in the case of oligohydramnios. Lung volume was measured and the degree of pulmonary hypoplasia was quantified in every case. Lung-to-thorax ratio was calculated in the case of fetal chylothorax.

CONCLUSION

Ongoing work suggests that MRI can provide additional detailed quantitative information in prenatal disorders associated with fetal lung compression and resulting hypoplasia. Correlation of fetal lung volume with postnatal management and outcome may affect prognosis in these cases.

Cytologic finding of chyloascites in lymphangioleiomyomatosis. A case report

BACKGROUND

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis is a rare disease, histologically characterized by an abnormal proliferation of smooth muscle around the lymphatics. Lung is the most common site of involvement, and patients usually present with dyspnea, chest pain, and cough. Chylous pleural effusion and ascites occasionally appear during the course of the disease. There are only a few reports on the cytologic findings in this disease. To our knowledge, the cytologic findings of chylous pleural effusion and chyloascites have not been reported before.

CASE

A 23-year-old female presented with chylothorax, chyloascites and a retroperitoneal mass. Cytologic examination of chylous pleural effusion and chyloascites revealed numerous cohesive and thick clusters of cells with a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, oval nuclei and slightly increased chromatin content. Mitosis and necrosis were not observed. Exploratory laparotomy and transbronchial lung biopsy were performed, and the histologic diagnosis was lymphangioleiomyomatosis involving the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, uterine fundus and lungs. Immunohistochemistry showed that the characteristic clusters in chylous fluids were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin.

CONCLUSION

A diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis is possible from cytologic findings of effusions with the aid of clinical findings.

A transitional variant of Castleman's disease presenting as a chylous pleural effusion

Castleman's disease is an uncommon clinicopathologic entity that results in unregulated growth of lymphoid tissue. It may present as benign involvement of one lymph node group or as multicentric disease with serious systemic symptoms. Pleural effusions are an uncommon manifestation of Castleman's disease. We present a patient with Castleman's disease who initially presented with a chylous pleural effusion.

Generalized lymphangiomatosis with chylothorax and skin lymphangiomas in a neonate

Generalized lymphangiomatosis is an extremely rare condition with clinical features depending on the extent of involvement. We report a newborn infant with chylothorax and cutaneous lymphangiomas of unique clinical presentation. The baby required artificial ventilation, pleural drainage, low triglyceride infusions, and diet. The course was favorable, with a complete regression of the cutaneous lymphangiomas.

Chylothorax in cirrhosis of the liver: analysis of its frequency and clinical characteristics

OBJECTIVES

To ascertain the frequency and to describe the clinical and biochemical features of cirrhotic chylothorax.

DESIGN

A descriptive clinical study.

SETTING

A community teaching hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Since November 1989 to October 1995, 809 patients with pleural effusions were studied by thoracentesis. Pleural effusions with a concentration of triglycerides higher than 110 mg/dL, a pleural fluid to serum triglyceride ratio higher than 1, and a pleural fluid to serum cholesterol ratio lower than 1 were considered chylothorax.

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients had pleural effusions that complied with all three aforementioned biochemical conditions. Five of these 24 patients (20%), were found to have liver cirrhosis as the main cause of chylothorax and in 3 of them, an abdominal source of the effusion could be demonstrated by intraperitoneal injection of a radioisotope (99mTc-sulfur colloid). The cirrhotic chylous effusions had significantly lower (p<0.005) protein (median, 1.7; range, 1.4 to 2.7 g/dL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (median, 96; range, 77 to 138 IU/L), and cholesterol (median, 25; range, 22 to 64 mg/dL) levels than chylous effusions resulting from other causes (protein: median, 4.1; range, 1.7 to 6.8 g/dL; LDH: median, 351; range, 140 to 8,600 IU/L; and cholesterol: median, 87; range, 38 to 160 mg/dL). Cirrhotic chylothorax was always a transudate according to Light's criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Chylothorax is a rare and apparently underappreciated manifestation of cirrhosis resulting from transdiaphragmatic passage of chylous ascites. Its uniform biochemical characteristics can facilitate its separation from chylous effusions of different etiology, therefore avoiding potentially harmful diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Chylous leakage after circumferential thoracolumbar fusion for correction of kyphosis resulting from fracture. Report of three cases

STUDY DESIGN

A description of the clinical picture of chylous leakage after spinal surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To present the clinical course of three cases of chylous leakage after spinal surgery and to discuss the pathogenesis of the disease.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Chylous leakage is a rare complication after spinal surgery. It has been attributed to direct injury of a lymphatic trunk or one of its major tributaries by surgical maneuver.

METHODS

Three cases of chylous leakage after circumferential thoracolumbar fusion for correction of kyphosis resulting from fracture were reported.

RESULTS

All of the three cases were managed successfully; two cases of chyloretroperitoneum detected within 4 days after surgery were healed conservatively, but one case of chylothorax of which the onset was noticed 5 weeks after spinal surgery, required surgical ligation of the thoracic duct and pleurodesis.

CONCLUSION

Early detection of this disease is important for a good prognosis. Retroperitoneal drainage is necessary for the detection and management of chyloretroperitoneum. The pathogenesis and management of the chylous leakage are discussed in this report.

Cardiotocographic and Doppler velocimetric patterns, pre- and post-thoracentesis, in a case of fetal hydrothorax

Fetal hydrothorax is associated with elevated perinatal mortality. Management of this condition is controversial given that in utero spontaneous resolution has been described. A case of fetal hydrothorax associated with an extralobar lung sequestration that showed pathologic cardiotocographic patterns and abnormal Doppler velocimetry indices in several fetal vascular beds in reported. All pathologic patterns improved after fetal thoracentesis. It can be concluded that monitoring fetal well-being by means of cardiotocography and Doppler velocimetry may help in timing thoracentesis in cases of fetal hydrothorax.

Lymphangiomatosis of the body wall: a report of two cases associated with chylothorax and fatal outcome

We report on two cases of an unusual but distinctive variant of lymphangiomatosis, presenting at birth with predominantly cutaneous involvement of the body wall and complicated by chylothorax. The lesion manifested clinically as a slowly progressive, diffuse, and fluctuant skin swelling. Eventually, almost the entire trunk became affected. There were no bone lesions. Histologically, the soft tissues were diffusely infiltrated by interconnecting mazelike lymphatic vessels. The two infants died from infection at the age of 23 days and 10 months, respectively. Our experience confirms that premortem histologic diagnosis of lymphangiomatosis is difficult to establish. Awareness of the condition and knowledge of its various clinical presentation forms are essential for proper recognition, assessment of the outcome, and evaluation of new therapeutic measures such as interferon.

[Individual variability in the topography of the thoracic duct and its significance for the treatment of chylothorax by a video endosurgical method]

A possibility for clipping the ends of the damaged thoracic duct in chylothorax treatment by video endosurgical method was supported by the experiment performed in 10 dogs and topographoanatomical study carried out in 158 corpses of adults. The correlation found allows to forecast the possible position of thoracic region of the thoracic duct both by the thoracic cage shape and topography of the adjacent large anatomic elements.

Chylothorax

BACKGROUND

Chylothorax is a condition that is debilitating to the point of threatening life. There is controversy over its management, in particular the relative merits of conservative measures and the timing of surgical intervention.

METHOD

The literature is reviewed from the basic sciences of chyle composition and flow, to diagnostic approaches, the complications of chyle loss and appropriate management strategies.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Prompt diagnosis is essential to institute an effective therapeutic regimen. Surgery achieves fast, safe and effective reversal of this dire situation. Minimally invasive thoracoscopic techniques are gaining wide recognition. Early intervention, which should be aggressive and complete to avoid the immune and nutritional consequences of extended chyle depletion, is recommended.

[Chylothorax as a complication of sarcoidosis]

This case report features a male patient of 45 years of age presenting with a right sided moderately compressive pleural effusion, that was clearly identified as chylothorax on thoracocentesis. Sarcoidosis with systemic involvement had already been diagnosed in 1995 by a parotid gland biopsy. Thoracoscopy revealed multiple discrete nodules parietally besides a number of more extensive yellowish lesions resembling malignant lymphoma. However visualization of a thoracic duct leakage was not possible. Histologically the biopsies taken represented exclusively non-caseating sarcoidosistype granulomas. Complete and permanent remission of the chylothorax was achieved within only ten days following talcum pleurodesis, alimentary measures and induction of systemic steroid therapy. The etiological classification of this extremely rare complication appears very clear. Pathogenetic and differential therapeutic aspects are discussed against the background of a review of the literature.