Abstract
We report the case of a 16-year-old boy who developed chylothorax after the chest tube insertion for spontaneous pneumothorax. The patient was admitted to our hospital for right spontaneous pneumothorax that required thoracic drainage. After chest tube insertion, we noticed chylous effusion discharging from the tube. Although this discharge of chylous effusion gradually decreased after the patient was put on a fat-restricted diet, we performed video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for continuous air leakage 9 days after admission. The patient's postoperative course was excellent. The chest tube was removed 5 days after surgery (POD5), and the patient was discharged the following day (POD6).
Chest tube insertion was usually a blind procedure; therefore, the location of the chest tube should receive special attention in order to prevent any unexpected thoracic injury.
