Back to Journals » International Journal of General Medicine » Volume 5

A patient with traumatic chylothorax

Authors Barkat A, Benbouchta, Karboubi L, Ghanimi, Kabiri M

Received 15 September 2011

Accepted for publication 28 December 2011

Published 14 September 2012 Volume 2012:5 Pages 759—762

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S26205

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Amina Barkat,1 Ilham Benbouchta,1 Lamia Karboubi,1 Zineb Ghanimi,2 Meryem Kabiri1

1National Reference Center in Neonatology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital, Rabat, Morocco; 2University Mohammed V souissi of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco

Abstract: Chylothorax refers to the accumulation of chyle in the pleural cavity. Although rare, it is the most frequent cause of pleural effusion in the neonatal period. Its incidence is estimated at one in 15,000 neonates. The causes of chylothorax are multiple, and there are several major types of chylothorax defined by origin, ie, traumatic (and iatrogenic) chylothorax, medical (spontaneous) chylothorax, and congenital chylothorax. A case of neonatal chylothorax following surgery for esophageal atresia and our therapeutic approach to this entity are presented. Conservative therapy with total enteral nutrition and drainage were sufficient. Treatment for chylothorax is essentially medical, ie, pleural drainage, removal of dietary fats, treatment of any medical cause, and use of drugs to reduce production of chyle. In the event of failure or reappearance of a large effusion, surgical treatment is needed.

Keywords: chylothorax, octreotide, somatostatin, children

Creative Commons License © 2012 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.