Thoracoscopic ligation of the thoracic duct in a child with spontaneous chylothorax

An Unusual Presentation of Spontaneous Chylothorax

True bilateral spontaneous chylothorax without any etiology has been reported rarely in the pediatric literature. A 3-year-old male child was detected to have incidental moderate chylothorax on USG thorax done for scrotal swelling. Investigations for infectious, malignant, cardiac, and congenital etiology were unremarkable. Effusion was drained by securing bilateral intercostal drains (ICD) and confirmed to be chyle on biochemical evaluation. The child was discharged with ICD in situ, but there was non-resolution of bilateral pleural effusion. Because of the failure of conservative treatment, video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) with pleurodesis was done. Thereafter, the child improved symptomatically and was discharged. On follow-up, there is no recurrence of pleural effusion, and the child has been growing well, albeit the etiology remains elusive. Chylothorax should not be missed in children presenting with scrotal swelling. In children with spontaneous chylothorax, VATS should be done after a fair trial of conservative medical management (thoracic drainage) along with continued nutritional management.

How to cite this article

Kaul A, Fursule A, Shah S. An Unusual Presentation of Spontaneous Chylothorax. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(7):871-873.

Chylothorax in infants and children

Chylothorax, the accumulation of chyle in the pleural space, is a relatively rare cause of pleural effusion in children. It can cause significant respiratory morbidity, as well as lead to malnutrition and immunodeficiency. Thus, a chylothorax requires timely diagnosis and treatment. This review will first discuss the anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system and discuss various causes that can lead to development of a chylothorax in infants and children. Then, methods of diagnosis and treatment will be reviewed. Finally, complications of chylothorax will be reviewed.

VATS therapy of chylothorax caused by leiomyomatosis complicated with tuberous sclerosis complex

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis with tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare disease. One of the most frequent complications of lymphangioleiomyomatosis is pleural effusion (chylothorax) wich can be treated with the use of VATS. Authors report a case of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis in a 56-year-old female patient with tuberous sclerosis complex with an 8-week history of recurrent chylothorax, dyspnea and debilitating weakness. By CT scan a flat tissue proliferation was seen in the site of the thoracic duct and it was supposed to be the reason for the pleural effusion. A VATS resection of this laesion and ligation of the thoracic duct was performed successfully. Chylothorax is often associated with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Lymphangioleiomyomatosis combined with tuberous sclerosis complex is extremely rare. In case of chylothorax VATS treatment is successful and may be the first choice.

Chylothorax: diagnosis and management in children

Chylothorax is the accumulation of chyle in the pleural space, as a result of damage to the thoracic duct. Chyle is milky fluid enriched with fat secreted from the intestinal cells and lymphatic fluid. Chylothorax in children, is most commonly seen as a complication of cardiothoracic surgery but may occur in newborns or conditions associated with abnormal lymphatics. The diagnosis is based on biochemical analysis of the pleural fluid, which contains chylomicrons, high levels of triglycerides and lymphocytes. Investigations to outline the lymphatic channels can prove helpful in some cases. Initial treatment consists of drainage, dietary modifications, total parenteral nutrition and time for the thoracic duct to heal. Somatostatin and its analogue octreotide may be useful in some cases. Surgery should be considered for patients who fail these initial steps, or in whom complications such as electrolyte and fluid imbalance, malnutrition or immunodeficiency persist. Surgical intervention may be attempted thoracoscopically with repair or ligation of the thoracic duct.

Proinflammatory macrophage migratory inhibition factor and interleukin-6 are concentrated in pleural effusion of human fetuses with prenatal chylothorax

OBJECTIVES

To study the role of selected cytokines and growth factors involved in the pathogenesis of fetal chylous pleural effusion.

METHODS

Seventeen fetuses with prenatal chylothorax at gestational age (GA) 17-29 weeks were enrolled as the study group during the period 2003-2005. Their pleural effusion (n = 17) and amniotic fluid (n = 17) were drawn when disease set in. Eleven fetuses received cordocentesis because of suspected fetal anemia. Forty-one normal fetuses without adverse perinatal outcome at GA 17-29 weeks received amniocentesis and were enrolled in the reference group. Levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), stromal-derived factor-1(SDF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), macrophage migratory inhibition factor (MIF), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined in the samples from both groups (amniotic fluid, pleural fluid, and cord blood from the study group and amniotic fluid from the reference group) by enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA).

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed in the amniotic fluids between the study group and the reference group regarding levels of IL-6, IL-8, MIF, SDF-1, HGF and VEGF. In the study group, levels of IL-8, VEGF and SDF-1 (all pro-angiogenic) showed no significant differences between the amniotic fluid, cord blood and pleural effusion. The level of HGF (proangiogenic) was significantly higher in the amniotic fluid than in the cord blood or the pleural effusion, but there were no significant differences between the levels in the pleural fluid and in the cord blood. Interestingly, the levels of MIF and IL-6 (both are proinflammatory) in the amniotic fluid and in the pleural effusion were much higher than the levels in the cord blood.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that the levels of pro-inflammatory proteins (MIF and IL-6) that we tested were higher in the fetal pleural effusion than in the fetal circulation, a phenomenon not observed in the levels of proangiogenic proteins (HGF, SDF-1, VEGF, IL-8). This result implies that inflammation-related proteins may be more relevant than the angiogenesis-related proteins in the local environment of accumulating pleural effusion, a prominent feature of prenatal chylothorax.