Objective:To report the case of a child with bilateral chylothorax due to infrequent etiology: thoracic duct injury after severe vomiting.Case description:Girl, 7 years old, with chronic facial swelling started after hyperemesis. During examination, she also presented with bilateral pleural effusion, with chylous fluid obtained during thoracentesis. After extensive clinical, laboratory, and radiological investigation of the chylothorax etiology, it was found to be secondary to thoracic duct injury by the increased intrathoracic pressure caused by the initial manifestation of vomiting, supported by lymphoscintigraphy findings.Comments:Except for the neonatal period, chylothorax is an infrequent finding of pleural effusion in children. There are various causes, including trauma, malignancy, infection, and inflammatory diseases; however, the etiology described in this study is poorly reported in the literature.
OBJECTIVE To present a case of a patient with clinical and radiological features of
reexpansion pulmonary edema, a rare and potentially fatal disease. CASE DESCRIPTION An 11-year-old boy presenting fever, clinical signs and radiological
features of large pleural effusion initially treated as a parapneumonic
process. Due to clinical deterioration he underwent tube thoracostomy, with
evacuation of 3,000 mL of fluid; he shortly presented acute respiratory
insufficiency and needed mechanical ventilation. He had an atypical
evolution (extubated twice with no satisfactory response). Computerized
tomography findings matched those of reexpansion edema. He recovered
satisfactorily after intensive care, and pleural tuberculosis was diagnosed
afterwards. COMMENTS Despite its rareness in the pediatric population (only five case reports
gathered), the knowledge of this pathology and its prevention is very
important, due to high mortality rates. It is recommended, among other
measures, slow evacuation of the pleural effusion, not removing more than
1,500 mL of fluid at once.
Except for the neonatal period, chylothorax is an infrequent finding of pleural effusion in children. There are various causes, including trauma, malignancy, infection, and inflammatory diseases; however, the etiology described in this study is poorly reported in the literature.
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