title: Bilateral chylothorax following neck dissection for thyroid cancer.
abstract: Bilateral chylothorax is mainly encountered following certain thoracic procedures. It is a rare complication following neck dissection, but can be serious and life threatening. The authors report a case of bilateral chylothorax following left modified radical neck dissection, right modified neck dissection and superior mediastinal dissection for bilateral medullary thyroid cancer. The patient was treated successfully with conservative management. The pathophysiology of this complication is discussed and multidisciplinary approach is advocated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, PR China. hanc@163.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: K-J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J-Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*