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.

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How to Cite: Guzman, A. , Rossi, L. , Witte, C. & Smyth, S. (2002) “TRAUMATIC INJURY OF THE THORACIC DUCT”, Lymphology. 35(1).