Late-onset chylothorax following extrapleural pneumonectomy for mesothelioma.
We report a 64-year-old woman treated with surgical intervention for late-onset chylothorax following a pleuropneumonectomy. The patient underwent an extrapleural pneumonectomy for diffuse malignant mesothelioma and was uneventfully discharged on postoperative day 29. Pleural effusion aspirated on postoperative day 9 was dark red. A chest roentgenogram taken at our outpatient clinic revealed a mediastinal shift on postoperative day 56. No bacterial infection was found in the milky effusion. We made a diagnosis of postoperative late-onset chylothorax based on the laboratory data obtained from tests of the pleural fluid. A repeat thoracotomy to ligate the lymphatic duct was performed because conservative management with chest tube drainage and no oral feeding was unsuccessful. The patient was discharged after the operation with a good clinical course.
Tokunaga
Toshiteru
T
Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery (E1), Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Inoue
Masayoshi
M
Ideguchi
Kan
K
Okumura
Meinoshin
M
Sawa
Yoshiki
Y
D002916:Chylothorax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012086:Reoperation; D013908:Thoracotomy