[Therapy of abdominal and thoracic chylous effusions 18 years after radiation therapy]

Chylothorax and chylascites are rare complications of neoplasm or surgical, but also non-surgical trauma. Extremely rare causes are a subclavian i.v. line, a mesenterical hamartoma, retrosternal goiter, liver cirrhosis, portal vein thrombosis, filariasis, tuberculosis, ruptured aortic aneurysm and radiotherapy. We report on a 60-year-old male with bilateral chylothorax and chylascites resistant to therapy 18 years after irradiation of the iliacal, paraaortal and mediastinal (46 Gray) and the left-sided supraclavicular (40 Gray) lymph nodes for a seminoma (T3N1M0 i.e. IIa, Lugano classification). A fat-free parenteral nutrition was started in order to bring the lymphatic flow down to a minimum. Chyle flow ceased after 3 1/2 weeks of treatment. An oral diet with middle chain triglycerides (MCT-diet), which are transported to the liver via the portal vein instead of the lymphatic system, achieved good control of residual chylous effusions.