Bilateral chylothorax after thymectomy via median sternotomy and resolution through conservative treatment.
Thymectomy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of myasthenia gravis patients. Rarely, bilateral chylothorax, was noted as a complication of thymectomy via median sternotomy. Probably unseen division of mediastinal lymphatics, remote from thoracic duct, can explain this phenomenon. We report the case of a patient, female, who developed bilateral chylothorax after the former surgical approach, and our initial conservative policy to treat it (unilateral chest tube, total parenteral nutrition and subcutaneous administration of octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analog), with good results.
Mafé
Juan José
JJ
Thoracic Surgery Service, General Universitary Hospital, Maestro Alonso 109, 03010 Alicante, Spain. jjmafe@yahoo.es
Caravajal
José M Galbis
JM
Baschwitz
Benno
B
Rodríguez Paniagua
José M
JM
D002916:Chylothorax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*