Chylothorax
Chylothorax is when lymphatic fluid builds up near the chest and lungs and makes it hard to breathe.
What Is Chylothorax?
Chylothorax occurs when chyle leaks into the spaces between the chest wall and lungs. Chyle is lymphatic fluid that has fats in it. This build-up (accumulation) of fluid can make breathing hard or painful.What Are the Causes of Chylothorax?
There are many causes for chylothorax. Most of them are due to chyle not being able to flow through the thoracic duct. Some examples are:
- Trauma or an injury to the central lymphatic system after surgery
- Pressure in the vessels leading to the heart being higher than it should be because of pulmonary hypertension or congenital heart surgery
- Tumors in the thoracic duct
- Congenital malformation – Problem with lymphatic structure or function that a baby was born with
- Syndromes a baby was born with, like Noonan’s syndrome and Gorham-Stout
- Certain diseases and infections
- Blood clots
What Are the Symptoms of Chylothorax?
There may not be many symptoms in the beginning. As the chyle collects in the chest, patients may have:
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble breathing
- Coughing
- Sharp pains in the chest when breathing, coughing, or sneezing
How Is Chylothorax Diagnosed?
Chylothorax can be diagnosed through testing like chest X-ray, computerized tomography (CT) scan, and ultrasound. Chylothorax is confirmed when chyle is seen in the space between the chest wall and lungs, and after it has been tested.How Is Chylothorax Treated?
Treatment for chylothorax depends on how much is built up and what caused it.
- Changing a patients diet may help with healing if there is only a small amount of chyle.
- A chest tube may need to be needed to drain the chyle if a patient is having a hard time breathing.
- Closing up where the chyle is leaking from may be needed. This is called embolization. It will help keep chyle from building up or may open up blocked/narrowed channels.
Specialists in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Lymphatic Disorders Program can help determine the best treatment plan for your child.
