ABSTRACT
Chylothorax is a well-known, albeit infrequent, complication in certain neoplasias including lymphomas. The continuing loss of chyle leads to a profound deterioration in patients' nutritional and immunological status, prevented only by appropriate early nutritional support. There is currently some dispute over its handling, particularly with regard to the most appropriate type of nutritional support and the suitability of conservative treatment versus surgery. The present paper describes the case of a 41-year-old patient diagnosed as having secondary chylothorax following B-cell lymphoma where mixed nutritional support (fat-free enteral nutrition by mouth and total parenteral nutrition) was given, followed by talc pleurodesis, with optimal results. There is a review of the literature and a discussion of the most controversial aspects of its management.
Subject(s)
Chylothorax/therapy , Lymphoma, B-Cell/complications , Nutritional Support , Adult , Chylothorax/etiology , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
El quilotórax es una complicación conocida, aunque poco frecuente de algunas neoplasias entre las que se incluye el linfoma. La pérdida continua de quilo induce un profundo deterioro del estado nutricional e inmunológico de los pacientes, que sólo puede evitarse mediante un soporte nutricional adecuado y precoz. Su manejo es motivo de controversia, en particular en relación al tipo de soporte nutricional más adecuado y a la conveniencia del tratamiento conservador frente al quirúrgico.Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 41 años diagnosticado de quilotórax secundario a linfoma B en el que se mantuvo un soporte nutricional mixto (nutrición enteral exenta de grasas vía oral y nutrición parenteral total) y posterior pleurodesis con talcaje, con resultados óptimos. Revisamos la literatura y discutimos los aspectos más controvertidos de su manejo (AU)
Chylothorax is a well-known, albeit infrequent, complication in certain neoplasias including lymphomas. The continuing loss of chyle leads to a profound deterioration in patients nutritional and immunological status, prevented only by appropriate early nutritional support. There is currently some dispute over its handling, particularly with regard to the most appropriate type of nutritional support and the suitability of conservative treatment versus surgery. The present paper describes the case of a 41-year-old patient diagnosed as having secondary chylothorax following B-cell lymphoma where mixed nutritional support (fat-free enteral nutrition by mouth and total parenteral nutrition) was given, followed by talc pleurodesis, with optimal results. There is a review of the literature and a discussion of the most controversial aspects of its management (AU)
