Spontaneous chylopericardium: delineation of the underlying anatomic pathology by CT lymphangiography.
Primary isolated chylopericardium is a rare condition with little known cause. This is the case of a 22-year-old woman in whom idiopathic chylopericardium developed. A lymphangiogram followed by a computed tomographic scan demonstrated occlusion of the thoracic duct and multiple lymphatic collaterals abutting the pericardial sac. Thoracic duct ligation resulted in the complete cure of the patient's condition. We theorized that the development of the pathologic lymphatic ducts in close proximity to the pericardium resulted in the development of the slowly accumulating chylopericardium.
Itkin
Maxim
M
Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. itkinmax@uphs.upenn.edu
Swe
Nadar M
NM
Shapiro
Scott E
SE
Shrager
Joseph B
JB
D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008220:Lymphography; D010146:Pain; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology; D013575:Syncope; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult