HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pollard, W. M. Articles by Bowen, T. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pollard, W. M. Articles by Bowen, T. E.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 81, 943-946, Copyright © 1981 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

Isolated chylopericardium after cardiac operations

WM Pollard, GF Schuchmann and TE Bowen

Case histories are reported of four patients having chylopericardium following cardiac operations. This entity can be recognized by noting the presence of postprandial milky mediastinal drainage that stains positive for fat with Sudan III. Chylopericardium is caused by operative injury to the thoracic duct, by operative injury to tributaries of the thoracic duct, or by thrombosis at the confluence of the left subclavian and jugular veins with subsequent obstruction of thoracic duct drainage. Appropriate management, which may be either conservative or operative, depends upon the volume and duration of drainage. The conservative approach entails adequate pericardial drainage and institution of a medium-chain triglyceride diet; operative therapy entails ligation of the thoracic duct low in the posterior mediastinum.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Riquet, F. Le Pimpec Barthes, R. Souilamas, and G. Hidden Thoracic duct tributaries from intrathoracic organs Ann. Thorac. Surg., March 1, 2002; 73(3): 892 - 898. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M. Campbell, L. N. Benson, W. W. Williams, and I. Adatia Chylopericardium after cardiac operations in children Ann. Thorac. Surg., July 1, 2001; 72(1): 193 - 196. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A.C. Sharpe, M. D.M. Pullen, and J. P. McGoldrick A minimally invasive approach to chylopericardium after coronary artery surgery Ann. Thorac. Surg., September 1, 1999; 68(3): 1062 - 1063. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]