Abstract
We report herein the rare case of a 20-year-old man in whom a mediastinal lymphangioma was incidentally detected by a chest roentgenogram taken during a routine health examination. Both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a mass measuring 3×7 cm in diameter in the left anterior mediastinum. A thoracoscopic exploration was done, which confirmed a diagnosis of mediastinal lymphangioma, and 3 days later a sternotomy was performed. However, the tumor could not be completely extirpated due to partial invasion. Following the thoracoscopic procedure, a chylous discharge developed which was difficult to treat conservatively and he continued to drain 700–1,000 ml of chyle daily 2 weeks following the tumor extirpation. Therefore, a right thoracotomy with ligation of the thoracic duct was performed which resolved the chylothorax. The patient remains well without any regrowth of the regional tumor 9 months after his operation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rekhi BM, Esselstyn CB Jr, Levy I, Mercer R (1972) Retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma. Report of two cases and review of the literature. Cleve Clin Q 39:125–128
Nelson TG, Shefts LM, Bowers WF (1957) Mediastinal tumors: Analysis of 141 cases. Dis Chest 32:123–153
Ringertz N, Lidholm SO (1956) Mediastinal tumors and cysts. J Thorac Surg 31:458–487
Masaoka A, Yamaguchi S, Mori T, Yasumitsu T, Kyo S, Takemura M, Manabe S (1971) Surgery of mediastinum in all Japan statistical survey (in Japanese with English abstract). Nippon Kyobu Geka Gakkai Zasshi 19:1289–1300
Bill AH Jr, Sumner DS (1965) A unified concept of lymphangioma and cystic hygroma. Surg Gynecol Obstet 120:79–86
Leonidas J, Brill PW, Bhan I, Smith TH (1978) Cystic retroperitoneal lymphangioma in infants and children. Radiology 127:203–208
Daniel TM, Staub WE, Clark DE (1973) Symptomatic venous compression from a mediastinal cystic lymphangioma. Chest 63:834–835
Hamasaki T, Nakao M, Okamura R, Nishiyama K, Mori T, Adachi H (1991) A case of cystic mediastinal lymphangioma (in Japanese with English abstract). Kyobu Geka 44:1041–1044
Kurczynski E, Horwitz SJ (1981) Response of lymphangiectasis to radiotherapy. Cancer 48:255–256
Douglas WJ, Klazynski PT, Gordon WG, Russell DA (1986) Mediastinal lymphangioma and chylothorax: the role of radiotherapy. Ann Thorac Surg 41:325–328
Shenoy SS, Barua NR, Patel AR, Culver GJ, Jennings EC (1978) Mediastinal lymphangioma. J Surg Oncol 10:523–528
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Matsuzoe, D., Iwasaki, A., Hideshima, T. et al. Postoperative chylothorax following partial resection of mediastinal lymphangioma: Report of a case. Surg Today 25, 827–829 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00311461
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00311461