title: Spontaneous chylopericardium: delineation of the underlying anatomic pathology by CT lymphangiography.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. itkinmax@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itkin
authors.forename: Nadar M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Swe
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Shrager
mesh_terms: 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