Chylothorax after neck dissection for thyroid carcinomas: report of three cases

Abstract

Chylothorax is a rare complication of neck dissection. We report three cases of chylothorax after neck dissections for thyroid carcinoma and attribute this relatively high incidence to the assumption that most patients are asymptomatic. Thus, conventional chest X-ray or ultrasonography in the early postoperative period may be warranted to exclude asymptomatic chylothorax, especially if the thoracic duct is injured and ligated during the operation. We suggest that for chylothorax induced by ligation of the thoracic duct, which may be transient and resolve quickly, short-term thoracic drainage is enough.

Chylothorax in thyroid surgery: A very rare case and systematic review of the literature

“… yes (N/A) 8 N/A Bilat. N/A yes no Tian, 2012 [ 13 ] Li, 2013 [ 12 ] 16 g chest discomfort Bilat. yes (Left) 2 X Bilat.…”

“… 17 yes no Bilat. bilateral; X standard X-ray; CT computertomography; N/A not available; POD postoperative day; RS retrosternal; US ultrasound a unilateral thoracic drainage, but bilateral chylothorax described b patient received additionally octreotide administration c consisting of enteral diet rich in medium-chain triglycerides and/or total parenteral nutrition d gelfoam packing, fistula ligation and pectoralis major muscle flap transfer e wound exploration without identification of leak site f thoracic duct ligation +/− sealing with biological glue g 3 cases of Li 2013 [ 12 ] were previously published as case reports in Tian 2012 [ 13 ] …”

“…If there was uncertainty as to whether thyroid surgery has been performed, patients were excluded. One cohort study [ 12 ] included 3 patients from a previously published case report [ 13 ]. We included both papers to obtain additional information.…”

“…Bias reporting bias; publ. bias publication bias; RCS retrospective cohort study; ST sternotomy; subT subtotal thyroidectomy; TC thyroid cancer not specified; TT total thyroidectomy a 3 cases of Li 2013 [ 12 ] were previously published as case reports in Tian 2012 [ 13 ]…”

Bilateral chylothorax following left supraclavicular lymph node dissection for breast cancer: one case report and literature review

“…We searched the English-language literature through PubMed and found 26 cases of bilateral chylothorax reported between 1951 and 2011[9]–[29]. We analyzed the primary diseases, treatment, and prognosis of bilateral chylothorax.…”