Refractory chylous effusions in lymphangioleiomyomatosis patient post lung transplant

Samuel Jacob; Mojahid Ali; Magdy M El-Sayed Ahmed; Maxim Itkin; Tathagat Narula; Si Pham; David Erasmus

doi:10.1177/2050313X20921332

Refractory chylous effusions in lymphangioleiomyomatosis patient post lung transplant

SAGE Open Med Case Rep. 2020 May 6:8:2050313X20921332. doi: 10.1177/2050313X20921332. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Samuel Jacob¹, Mojahid Ali¹, Magdy M El-Sayed Ahmed¹, Maxim Itkin², Tathagat Narula³, Si Pham¹, David Erasmus³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
² Center for Lymphatic Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
³ Department of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Abstract

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis is a rare systemic disorder of unknown etiology that affects young women almost exclusively. Chylous effusions are known to be associated with lymphangioleiomyomatosis and may be difficult to treat. We present the case of a 37-year-old female who received bilateral lung transplantation for lymphangioleiomyomatosis complicated by refractory chylothorax and chylous ascites, ultimately controlled through repeated, open surgical procedures and percutaneous lymphatic embolization interventions. The combined surgical and interventional radiological approach, while not novel in their own right, suggests that a multi-modal interventional approach may be required in refractory cases.

Keywords: Surgery; chylous effusions; embolization; lung transplant; refractory; respiratory medicine.

Publication types

Case Reports