Mediastinal chyloma after lung cancer surgery: case report

BACKGROUND Chylothorax is a relatively rare but well-known complication of thoracic surgery. CASE PRESENTATION A 70-year-old man underwent right upper and middle bilobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection through a posterolateral thoracotomy for lung cancer. On the second postoperative day, he developed chylothorax that was treated with dietary management and pleurodesis. The discharge diminished and his chest tube was removed on the ninth postoperative day. On the 14(th) postoperative day, the patient complained of dyspnea and dysphagia, and imaging studies revealed mediastinal chyloma. Thoracoscopic surgical drainage was performed and the site of chyle leakage was sutured. CONCLUSIONS This report presents an unexpected complication of chemical pleurodesis and reviews the indications for surgical intervention in cases of postoperative chylothorax.