[Chylothorax in the course of squamous cell lung cancer]

Chylothorax is a rare condition which might be caused by trauma of the chest, malignant tumors, congenital malformation, or inflammation of lymphatic nodes. It occurs as a complication of malignancy in about 50% of all cases, either as the first and the only symptom or at a very late stage of the disease. We presented a case of the 62 year old male with squamous cell cancer of the right lung, treated by chemo- and radiotherapy. Leakage of lymph to the pleura complicated the clinical status of the patient. Due to the primary disease the patient was treated symptomatically, in the hospital and later on in the out-patient clinic. Actually, eleven years after being diagnosed, despite massive fibrosis of the right lung the patient is doing relativity well, working part time.