Chylothorax: A Rare Complication of Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy

Abstract

Hyperhidrosis (HH) is a pathological condition of excessive secretion of the eccrine sweat glands in amounts greater than that required for physiological needs. Herein, we describe a patient who was treated with autologous blood pleurodesis for ductus thoracicus injury after endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. A 23-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic with a complaint of bilateral pronounced axillary HH, minimal sweating of the hands, and bruising. She underwent bilateral thoracic sympathectomy at levels T3 and T4. A milky fluid was observed in the left chest tube and was diagnosed as chylothorax. No similar case of postoperative chylothorax treated with autologous blood pleurodesis has been found in the English literature. According to anatomical variations, the ductus thoracicus is susceptible to injury even in the hands of an experienced surgeon. In case an injury has occurred shortly after thoracic sympathectomy, autologous blood pleurodesis is an effective treatment for chylothorax. This procedure is safe and cheap and can be easily performed at the bedside.