Intranodal lymphangiography for chyle leakage after esophagectomy: A case report

Postoperative chylothorax after esophagectomy is a relatively rare complication, but treatment can sometimes be complicated. We report 3 cases of Lipiodol lymphangiography via inguinal lymph node puncture that was effective for chyle leakage occurring after esophagectomy. Case 1: A 67-year-old man with stage IIIA esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent radical esophagectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). After enteral feeding, right pleural effusion drainage increased sharply and changed to white color that was diagnosed as chylothorax. Conservative treatment was started on postoperative day (POD) 15. On POD 50, intranodal Lipiodol lymphangiography and thoracic duct ligation were performed, resulting in complete improvement by the next day. Case 2: A 69-year-old man with stage IIIC esophageal cancer was treated salvage operation following chemoradiation. Postoperative chylothorax was diagnosed on POD 6. Despite conservative treatment, the pleural fluid volume did not decrease. Intranodal Lipiodol lymphangiography performed on POD 13 showed contrast medium draining from the thoracic duct near the tracheal bifurcation. Thoracotomy for thoracic duct ligation was performed on POD 15. Thereafter, drainage from the thoracic drain decreased significantly, and the right thoracic drain was removed 4 days later. Case 3: A 65-year-old man with Stage IVA hypopharyngeal cancer and Stage IIIA esophageal cancer underwent total pharyngopharyngeal esophagectomy by VATS following NAC. Postoperative chylothorax was diagnosed on POD 7. Despite conservative treatment, the pleural fluid volume did not decrease. Intranodal Lipiodol lymphangiography performed on POD 19 completely visualized the thoracic duct and showed no outflow of contrast from the main thoracic duct into the mediastinum. Pleural fluid decreased remarkably after lymphangiography. Intranodal Lipiodol lymphangiography for postoperative chylothorax accurately visualizes flow within the thoracic duct and clearly depicts its positional relationship with other organs. Besides lymphangiography is not only helps to determine the site of chyle leakage but can also be effective for curing chylothorax by less invasive and safer method.