title: Postoperative chylothorax following partial resection of mediastinal lymphangioma: report of a case.
abstract: We report herein the rare case of a 20-year-old man in whom a mediastinal lymphangioma was incidentally detected by a chest roentgenogram taken during a routine health examination. Both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a mass measuring 3 x 7 cm in diameter in the left anterior mediastinum. A thoracoscopic exploration was done, which confirmed a diagnosis of mediastinal lymphangioma, and 3 days later a sternotomy was performed. However, the tumor could not be completely extirpated due to partial invasion. Following the thoracoscopic procedure, a chylous discharge developed which was difficult to treat conservatively and he continued to drain 700-1,000 ml of chyle daily 2 weeks following the tumor extirpation. Therefore, a right thoracotomy with ligation of the thoracic duct was performed which resolved the chylothorax. The patient remains well without any regrowth of the regional tumor 9 months after his operation.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matsuzoe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hideshima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshinaga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okabayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakusa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008202:Lymphangioma / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000601:surgery; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D013908:Thoracotomy