Chyloma: A Manifestation of Chyle Leak Six Months After Neck Dissection

Abstract

Chyle leaks after a neck dissection usually manifest within the immediate postoperative period. However, masked chyle leaks may present as a chyloma months later. A 54-year-old male patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue underwent bilateral neck dissection, subtotal glossectomy, anterolateral thigh flap reconstruction and postoperative radiotherapy. Intraoperatively, chyle leak was encountered in level IV of the left neck. We managed it by ligation of the thoracic duct, application of Tisseel™ sealant (Baxter Inc., Illinois, USA) and one week of prophylactic fat-free feeds. Six months later, an asymptomatic chyloma of the left neck was identified on surveillance MRI. Five weeks after the diagnosis, streptococcal infection developed within the chyloma. However, initiation of fat-free diet, serial aspiration, pressure dressing and antibiotic therapy allowed the chyloma to resolve within two weeks. Further surveillance MRI over three years showed no recurrence of the chyloma. Low-volume chyle leaks may manifest as an occult chyloma. Prophylactic measures cannot replace meticulous ligation of chylous channels in left level IV neck dissection.