Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026
Transaxillary First Rib Resection for Treatment of the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Published on: September 13, 2020
Can octreotide be the first line treatment for chylothorax?
Sonthakit Leelahanon1, Wattanasak Petlek, Wirachai Sontimuang
1Division of Cardiovascularthoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Background:
Chylothorax is a rare but serious condition with a high rate of morbidity that may lead to death. It may be spontaneous or a complication of cardiac surgery. Treatment of this potentially harmful condition is not well established and may comprise dietary interventions. In order to avoid surgery, somatostatin and octreotide have been recently suggested as new modalities for the treatment of chylothorax.
Objective:
To study the efficacy of octreotide for the treatment of chylothorax.
Method:
Cases reports.
Result:
The authors report two cases of chylothorax successfully treated with intravenous infusion of octreotide as an adjunct to conventional treatment. Furthermore, the authors report their last case who were treated successfully with octreotide as the first line drug without diet modification.
Conclusion:
It seems that octreotide is effective, noninvasive and safe. It can be used as an optional or first line treatment for chylothorax.
