Isolated thoracic duct injury after gunshot of the neck

ABSTRACT

While thoracic duct injury occurs after penetrating, blunt or iatrogenic trauma, isolated thoracic duct injury without any major vascular or tracheoesophageal injury arc extremely rare. Previous studies have reported the incidence of thoracic duct injury in penetrating neck trauma as 0.9% to 1.3%. chylothorax is a potential complication that may arise from penetrating trauma to the neck. Multiple approaches to treat chyle leaks have emerged, including nutritional, surgical and pharmacological therapies. But lack of consensus on the optimal management of chyle leaks makes this an area of discussion. We present a case of isolated injury of the thoracic duct and discuss its management