Krishnan Sathish, Naumaan Anam, Pararath Gopalakrishnan Venu
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Community Health Network Indianapolis Indiana USA.
Division of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Community Health Network Indianapolis Indiana USA.
Respirol Case Rep. 2025 May 5;13(5):e70202. doi: 10.1002/rcr2.70202. eCollection 2025 May.
Chylothorax, the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the pleural space, is a rare condition often linked to trauma, surgery or malignancy. We present the case of a 63-year-old female with a significant smoking history who was diagnosed with chylothorax as the initial manifestation of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Diagnostic workup, including pleural fluid analysis and imaging, confirmed the diagnosis and revealed mediastinal lymphadenopathy and bronchial narrowing. The patient underwent chemotherapy, immunotherapy and management of recurrent effusions but ultimately succumbed to pneumonia and septic shock. Recognising chylothorax as a potential initial manifestation and understanding the risks of prolonged chyle drainage are crucial for effectively managing such complex cases.
乳糜胸是指胸腔内淋巴液积聚，是一种罕见病症，常与创伤、手术或恶性肿瘤相关。我们报告一例63岁有大量吸烟史的女性，其被诊断为乳糜胸，为小细胞肺癌（SCLC）的初始表现。包括胸腔积液分析和影像学检查在内的诊断性检查确诊了该诊断，并显示纵隔淋巴结肿大和支气管狭窄。患者接受了化疗、免疫治疗及复发性胸腔积液的处理，但最终死于肺炎和感染性休克。认识到乳糜胸可能作为初始表现以及了解长期乳糜引流的风险对于有效管理此类复杂病例至关重要。
