CHYLOPERICARDIUM FOLLOWING RIGHT THORACOTOMY FOR LUNG-CANCER

A 69-year-old woman underwent the right upper lobectomy, a partial res ection of right segment 6 (rt S6) and removal of mediastinal lymph nod es (LN) for adenocarcinoma of the lung (rt S2), stage IIIA (T2N2M0). A chest computerized tomography (CT) taken one month after the operatio n revealed a pericardial effusion which was milky in color, and contai ned high levels of triglycerides (TG) of 615 mg/dl (serum, 217 mg/dl). Cytology of effusion for malignant cells was negative, The pericardia l effusion gradually decreased in one month by restriction of her fat intake, Chylopericardium following right thoracotomy for lung cancer i s extremely rare.