Tetracycline sclerotherapy for chylous fistula following neck dissection

In chylous fistulas following radical neck dissections, we have found reexploration to be unrewarding, with infrequent identification of a specific leakage site intraoperatively and persistent fluid accumulation postoperatively. As an alternative, we injected tetracycline hydrochloride into the supraclavicular wound bed. This procedure resulted in a rapid, sustained decline in fistula output in two of three cases, avoiding surgical intervention. Tetracycline sclerotherapy has been described for treatment of intrathoracic and other intracavitary fluid collections. We believe that tetracycline sclerotherapy is an effective adjunct in the management of chylous fistulas following radical neck dissections and that this therapy should be attempted before surgical reexploration.