[Spontaneous neonatal chylothorax. Apropos of 5 cases]

Authors report five consecutive cases of spontaneous neonatal chylothorax (SNC). Three patients had also Down's syndrome, one a VSD and the remaining one was a premature. Two infants with bilateral pleural effusions started with severe neonatal asphyxia in absence of previous fetal alteration. Two right-side chylothoraces made a satisfactory recovery. Fith patient died a few hours after birth because of prematurity. Special mention is made of difficulties for an accurate etiologic diagnostic in the majority of SNC. Interest of association with Down's syndrome, of which only two cases have been previously reported, is pointed out. Finally, the presence of polihydramnios is interpreted as an expression of a lymphatic anomaly and/or an alteration of reabsorption of amniotic fluid at pulmonary level.