Articles

TRAUMATIC INJURY OF THE THORACIC DUCT

Authors
  • AE Guzman
  • L Rossi
  • CL Witte
  • S Smyth

Abstract

Injuries to the thoracic duct are infrequent but may become life-threatening when chylous leakage persists. This report describes 6patients with such injuries in whom the leakage resolved spontaneously in one, was corrected using microsurgical lymphatic repair or lymphatic-venous anastomosis in two,successfully treated either by ligation of the thoracic duct or insertion of a peritoneo-venous shunt in two, and was eventually controlled after bilateral pleurodesis and thoracic duct ligation by insertion of a peritoneo-venous shunt in one. Conventional lymphography is superior to lymphoscintigraphy and is usually required to document disruption of the thoracic duct.

How to Cite:

Guzman, A., Rossi, L., Witte, C. & Smyth, S., (2002) “TRAUMATIC INJURY OF THE THORACIC DUCT”, Lymphology 35(1), 4-14.

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Published on
23 Aug 2002
Peer Reviewed