Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Omentalization of the thorax for treatment of idiopathic chylothorax with constrictive pleuritis in a cat.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2002
- Authors:
- Lafond, Elizabeth et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old spayed female Himalayan cat was diagnosed with idiopathic chylothorax, a condition where fluid builds up in the chest, and it didn't get better with medication. During surgery, the vets found severe scarring in the chest lining, which was likely caused by the chylothorax. Since previous treatments weren't working, they decided to move a part of the cat's omentum (a fold of tissue in the abdomen) into the chest to help manage the problem. After the surgery, the cat recovered well and has been doing fine for 13 months. This approach may be a helpful option for treating this difficult condition in cats.
Abstract
A 6-year-old, spayed female Himalayan cat with idiopathic chylothorax, which failed to respond to medical management, was successfully treated by advancement of the omentum into the thorax. Exploratory thoracotomy revealed severe, constrictive pleuritis as a sequela to chylothorax. Because of the poor prognosis for recovery from chylothorax in cats with thoracic duct ligation alone, and the lack of success in performing thoracic duct ligation in this cat, the omentum was advanced into the thorax through a hole created in the diaphragm and sutured within the thoracic cavity. The cat recovered from surgery and is clinically normal 13 months postoperatively. Omental advancement may be an effective surgical management technique for this challenging disease in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11804320/