Abstract
Two cases of chylorrhea following breast cancer surgery that improved with conservative treatment are described.
Case 1 : A 52-year-old woman was referred to our department after being diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast by a previous physician. Partial mastectomy with axillary dissection was performed. On day 1, 300 mL of milky drainage fluid was observed from the indwelling drain, and chylorrhea was diagnosed. Fasting and intravenous hyperalimentation were started on day 7. The drainage fluid changed to a slightly bloody color thereafter, and on day 25, the drain was removed, and the patient was discharged.
Case 2 : A 63-year-old woman visited our department after noticing a mass in her left breast from around July 2012. A diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma was made based on detailed examination, and partial mastectomy with axillary dissection was performed. On day 2, 680 mL of milky fluid was observed from the drain, and chylorrhea was diagnosed. The patient was followed up without discontinuing dietary intake, the amount of drainage fluid decreased gradually, and on day 10, the drain was removed, and the patient was discharged.
Chylorrhea following breast cancer surgery is a rare complication, and the present cases are reported with reference to the literature.
