Somatostatin treatment of congenital chylothorax may induce transient hypothyroidism in newborns.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a group of neonates with congenital, non-traumatic chylothorax, one of whom developed transient hypothyroidism following treatment with somatostatin.


METHODS
The charts of seven infants with congenital chylothorax were reviewed in terms of their clinical presentation, the severity of their disease, the complications they presented and the duration of their hospitalization. Their pituitary-thyroid axis function was monitored in particular.


RESULTS
The seven infants, all preterm (32-34 wk), suffered from congenital chylothorax and hydrops fetalis diagnosed during the prenatal period. Four were treated by intrauterine drainage, and four had congenital malformations. Hospitalization lasted from 32 to 120 d. Three of the infants suffered from thrombocytopenia, three had chronic lung disease, and one suffered from Gram-negative sepsis. The infant treated with somatostatin initially had normal thyroid function, but later developed primary transient hypothyroidism and was treated with L-thyroxine. The thyroid screening tests for the infants who were not treated with somatostatin were all normal.


CONCLUSIONS
Repeated doses of somatostatin were effective in reducing chylus production. Administering this treatment earlier should be considered in order to minimize known complications. The only potential side effect observed was primary transient hypothyroidism. Therefore, careful monitoring of the pituitary-thyroid axis is advised.
Maayan-Metzger
Ayala
A
Department of Neonatology, The Edmond and Lili Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Israel. maayan@post.tau.ac.il
Sack
Joseph
J
Mazkereth
Ram
R
Vardi
Amir
A
Kuint
Jacob
J
D002916:Chylothorax / Q000151:congenital* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000009:adverse effects*
D013004:Somatostatin