title: Management of nontraumatic chylothorax.
abstract: Twenty-two patients with chylothorax have been treated at the National Institutes of Health since 1955. In 9 of these patients, the condition resulted from an antecedent operation and in 13, it occurred without a history of prior operation (nontraumatic). All 6 of the patients with tumors in whom nontraumatic chylothorax developed had a lymphoma. Four of these 6 also had a chylous ascites, while 6 of the 7 patients without tumors had an associated chylous ascites. Only 3 of the 13 patients with nontraumatic chylothorax responded to nonoperative therapy alone with stabilization of the pleural effusions. A single patient with systemic lupus erythematosus responded to steroid therapy. In contrast, 3 of 4 patients who underwent thoracotomy for nontraumatic chylothorax had permanent relief of their chylous pleural effusions. In the absence of medically treatable disease, thoracotomy with ligation of the thoracic duct and/or pleurectomy or pleurodesis can provide substantial palliation for patients with nontraumatic chylothorax, even when a discrete source of lymph leakage cannot be localized or ascites is present. Early surgical therapy of nontraumatic chylothorax is advocated in such circumstances.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000601:surgery