CT-guided percutaneous catheter drainage of lymphocele complicating splenorenal anastomosis.
We report the successful management by CT-guided percutaneous catheter drainage of a lymphocele complicating a Warren-Zeppa distal splenorenal venous anastomosis. The early postoperative course of this 31-year-old male with homozygous alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency was complicated by chylous ascites and a large lymphocele demonstrable on CT scanning. The persistent 10.5 cm diameter lymphocele was drained percutaneously 5 weeks later by a CT-guided catheter. Drainage of lymph continued at decreasing rates for 13 days when the catheter was removed. Complete resolution of the lymphocele was confirmed at 2 1/2 months. The successful treatment of a lymphocele by percutaneous catheter drainage may obviate major surgery and has not been previously documented.
D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008202:Lymphangioma / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011170:Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013164:Splenorenal Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed