Spontaneous Chylothorax (A Case Report)

Chylothorax is caused by the distruption or obstruction of the thoracic duct or its tributaries that result in leakage of chyle into the pleural space. A 3.5-year-old male patient without significant past medical history was admitted to the outpatient clinic of our hospital with persistent coughing. The initial chest radiograph demonstrated consolidation and effusion in the left lung upon which we performed thoracentesis. The pleural fluid had milk-white color. The biochemical analysis showed that its density was 1015 with pH: 7, glucose: 168 mg/dl, triglyceride: 2101 mg/dl, and WBC: 590/mm3. We started the treatment by offering a low-fat diet and somatostatin 3 μgr/kg/h. The chest tube was removed on the 25th day after the cessation of chylous pleural fluid from the tube in addition to the improvement that was visible on the chest radiograph; the patient was discharged. We would like to emphasize that chylothorax may occur very rarely but spontaneously and the use of somatostatin therapy may reduce the need for surgical intervention