title: Chylous ascites after liver transplant: case report and review of literature.
abstract: METHODS
  A 62-year-old man with cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and hepatocellular carcinoma, underwent a liver transplant. On day 11 after surgery, a chylous leak from a partial wound dehiscence was noted. The leak did not respond to 2 weeks of uninterrupted, fat-free clear liquid diet and 12-hour total parenteral nutrition at night. The same treatment was continued for another 6 weeks with fatty meal challenge every weekend, which he failed. He was then given a fat-free clear liquid diet, 24-hour total parenteral nutrition, and octreotide 100 μg subcutaneously every 8 hours for 14 days. A prompt response was noted. His recovery was excellent at the time of this writing (9 months' follow-up).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eleven major cases have been reported with 9 cases being managed conservatively. Four were given a diet plus total parenteral nutrition without octreotide producing a cure in 3 to 36 days. Two cases (including ours) were given the diet and total parenteral nutrition, which failed; octreotide was then added, and these cases were cured in 2 to 4 weeks. Therefore, diet with total parenteral nutrition failed in 33.3% of the cases (2/6). In 3 cases, octreotide was used from the outset. They were all cured in ≤ 2 weeks. One case was operated on for peritonitis; chylous ascites was found and a leak was ligated. One patient with congenital lymphatic disorder underwent peritoneovenous shunting. Octreotide was not used in any of the cases of chylous ascites that were treated surgically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If exploratory surgery is done for any other reason, it is best to identify a chylous leak and ligate it. Otherwise, we recommend octreotide combined with a fat-free, clear liquid diet, and supplementation with medium chain triglycerides and total parenteral nutrition from the outset.
authors.affiliation: Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
authors.forename: Amar Nath
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Mukerji
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karachristos
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maloo
authors.forename: Ashokkumar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D002915:Chylous Ascites / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004322:Drainage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D012086:Reoperation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015282:Octreotide