Spontaneous chylous cardiac tamponade: A case report

Abstract

Background: Chylous cardiac tamponade is a rare condition with little known cause.Case presentation: A case of an otherwise healthy woman who admitted with dyspnea and palpitations is presented. She had a history of a painful flexion-hyperextension of the spine. Diagnostic evaluation proved a chylous pericardial effusion with a disruption of the anterior longitudinal spinal ligament. Video-assisted thoracic surgery with mass supradiaphragmatic ligation of the thoracic duct and pericardial window formation was carried out successfully and resulted in the complete cure of the patient's condition.Conclusion: Chylous pericardial effusion and subsequent tamponade is a rare entity. Endoscopic surgery is offering a safe and effective treatment. © 2010 Barbetakis et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.