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Published on: February 10, 2023
Use of octreotide in the treatment of chylopericardium
Eszter Szabados1, Kalman Toth, Emese Mezosi
1Division of Cardiology, First Department of Medicine, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary. eszter.szabados@aok.pte.hu
Insights
Chylopericardium, a rare condition of chyle in the pericardium, was successfully treated with octreotide after standard therapies failed. This case highlights octreotide as a potential treatment for post-surgical chylopericardium.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Chylopericardium is pericardial effusion of chyle, often secondary to thoracic duct injury.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) can lead to thoracic duct injury and subsequent chylopericardium.
Observation:
- A 46-year-old woman developed isolated chylopericardium post-CABG.
- Initial conservative management (pericardial drainage, dietary modification) was unsuccessful.
Findings:
- Subcutaneous octreotide administration (300 μg daily for 2 weeks) effectively reduced pericardial fluid production.
- Pericardial fluid normalized by the end of octreotide treatment with no observed side effects.
Implications:
- Octreotide offers a viable therapeutic option for refractory chylopericardium, particularly post-cardiac surgery.
- This case expands treatment strategies for managing thoracic duct-related effusions.
Abstract:
Chylopericardium involves the pericardial effusion of chyle, which can be a primary (idiopathic) or secondary condition to injury or obstruction of the thoracic duct. We present a case of isolated chylopericardium that appeared after coronary artery bypass grafting in a 46-year-old woman. After failure of the usual conservative therapy for chylopericardium, ie, pericardial drainage and a low-fat, medium-chain triglyceride diet, her treatment was completed with octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analog. Octreotide was used subcutaneously at a 3 × 100 μg daily dose for 2 weeks. The production of pericardial fluid decreased gradually, and had normalized by the end of treatment. No side effects were evident during therapy.
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