Subcutaneous accumulation of chyle after thoracic duct ligation in a dog

A 3.5-year-old female German Shepherd Dog developed subcutaneous accumulation of chyle in a hind limb after ligation of the thoracic duct for treatment of chylothorax. Lymphangiography revealed severe lymphangiectasia in the abdomen and left inguinal region. Although the pleural effusion resolved, the subcutaneous accumulation of chyle continued even after medical and surgical treatment, which included transplantation of the greater omentum into the subcutaneous tissues of the affected limb. Alternate lymphaticovenous pathways usually develop in dogs after thoracic duct ligation. These apparently did not develop in this dog, resulting in retrograde flow of chylous fluid into the hind limb. To the authors' knowledge, this is a previously unrecognized complication of thoracic duct ligation for treatment of chylothorax in dogs.