Successful treatment of neonatal chylothorax with octreotide

Propranolol for the Treatment of Lymphatic Malformations in a Neonate - A Case Report and Review of Literature

Lymphatic malformations in neonates often manifest as a chylothorax, and although rare, morbidity and mortality can be significant. First-line treatment with medium-chain triglyceride-enriched formulas, or enteric rest with total parenteral nutrition, are not always successful. We describe the case of a premature neonate with trisomy 21 who presented with bilateral pleural effusions and a pericardial effusion that worsened with the initiation of enteral nutrition. Clinical improvement was not seen until the initiation of treatment with oral propranolol at a maximum dosage of 0.5 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours with extubation 8 days after propranolol initiation. Two case reports have described the use of propranolol in similar patients receiving 2 mg/kg/day; however, our experience is the first to report treatment success at a much lower dose. A review of the literature for alternative medication treatments uncovered numerous case reports and series documenting variable results with incongruent definitions of treatment success in a diverse patient population. The rarity of this disease state makes accrual of patients difficult and more robust treatment data unlikely. Therefore, selection of the optimal adjunctive treatment must be based on individual patient and disease state characteristics as well as safety and efficacy profile of the medication.

Octreotide for congenital and acquired chylothorax in newborns: A systematic review

AIM

Chylothorax is a rare but life-threatening condition in newborns. Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, is widely used as a therapeutic option in neonates with congenital and acquired chylothorax, but its therapeutic role has not been clarified yet.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and safety of octreotide in the treatment of congenital and acquired chylothorax in newborns. Comprehensive research, updated till 31 October 2017, was performed by searching in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases using the MeSH terms 'octreotide' and 'chylothorax'. Both term and preterm newborns with congenital or acquired chylothorax treated with octreotide within the 30th day of life were included. Octreotide treatment was considered effective if a progressive reduction/ceasing in drained chylous effusion occurred.

RESULTS

A total of 39 articles were included. Octreotide was effective in 47% of patients, with a slight but not significant difference between congenital (30/57; 53.3%) and acquired (9/27; 33.3%) chylothorax (P = 0.10). Marked variation in octreotide regimen was observed. The most common therapeutic scheme was intravenous infusion at a starting dose of 1 μg/kg/h, gradually increasing to 10 μg/kg/h according to the therapeutic response. Side effects were reported in 12 of 84 patients (14.3%). Only case reports were included in this review due to the lack of randomised controlled trials.

CONCLUSION

Octreotide is a relatively effective and safe treatment option in neonates with chylothorax, especially for the congenital forms.