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Review
. 2017:2017:8362874.
doi: 10.1155/2017/8362874. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

Management of Chyle Leak after Head and Neck Surgery: Review of Current Treatment Strategies

Sean W Delaney  1 , Haoran Shi  2 , Alireza Shokrani  1 , Uttam K Sinha  1
Affiliations
Review

Management of Chyle Leak after Head and Neck Surgery: Review of Current Treatment Strategies

Sean W Delaney et al. Int J Otolaryngol. 2017.

Abstract

Chyle leak formation is an uncommon but serious sequela of head and neck surgery when the thoracic duct is inadvertently injured, particularly with the resection of malignancy low in the neck. The thoracic duct is the primary structure that returns lymph and chyle from the entire left and right lower half of the body. Chyle extravasation can result in delayed wound healing, dehydration, malnutrition, electrolyte disturbances, and immunosuppression. Prompt identification and treatment of a chyle leak are essential for optimal surgical outcome. In this article we will review the current treatment options for iatrogenic cervical chyle leaks.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lymphatic division. The right lymphatic duct collects lymph from the right side of the body, above the diaphragm. The thoracic duct receives lymph from the entire left side of the body and the right side of the body below the diaphragm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cervical course of the thoracic duct. The thoracic duct enters the neck lateral to the esophagus, ascending superiorly and laterally behind to the carotid and internal jugular vein before turning inferiorly and anteriorly to join the venous circulation at the confluence of the internal jugular vein and subclavian vein.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proposed treatment algorithm for the postoperative chyle leak.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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