title: Bilateral chylothorax following neck dissection: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chylothorax is an extremely rare but potentially life-threatening complication after radical neck dissection. We report the case of a bilateral chylothorax after total thyroidectomy and cervico-central and cervico-lateral lymphadenectomy for thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 40-year-old European woman underwent total thyroidectomy and neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma. Postoperatively she developed dyspnoea and pleural effusion. A chylothorax was found and the initial conservative therapy was not successful. She had to be operated on again and the thoracic duct was legated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The case presentation reports a very rare complication after total thyroidectomy and neck dissection, but it has to be kept in mind to prevent dangerous complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern 3000, Switzerland. tinarunge@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Runge
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Borbély
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Candinas
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seiler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed