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.
D002916:Chylothorax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000601:surgery