Chylothorax After Salvage Neck Dissection Without Chyle Leakage at Operation Site: A Case Report

Abstract

Leaks of chyle can occur during a head and neck surgery and can appear very rarely as chylothorax. A 62-year-old male diagnosed with Hypopharyngeal cancer was diagnosed with nodal failure during a follow-up after radiation therapy and underwent a left cervical lymph node dissection. Chest x-ray was taken due to dyspnea that began on the second day of surgery. It was diagnosed as bilateral chylothorax; absolute bed resting and fasting were maintained along with drainage through pleural puncture. The patient was discharged from the hospital with all improved symptoms on the 10th day after surgery and has been followed up for 5 years without recurrence. Chylothorax is a complication that cannot be just watched but must be detected and treated early. Since we have experienced a case of very rare bilateral chylothorax without any leakage at the neck operation site, we would like to report it with a review of the literature.