Lymphocele of the thoracic duct presenting as a left supraclavicular mass:a case report and review of the literature

Surgical injuries and blunt trauma are the main causes of thoracic duct les ions. Cervical chylous fistula and chylothorax occur frequently after lesio ns of the cervical portion of the thoracic duct. On the other hand, thoraci c duct cyst is a very rare entity, especially in its cervical portion. The authors reported a case of thoracic duct cyst, presenting as an asymptomati c left cervical mass. Diagnosis was suggested by computerized axial tomogra phy and confirmed by histological analysis, after surgical removal of the c yst. After review of the literature, the authors recommended surgical treat ment of cervical thoracic duct cysts in order to prevent potential complica tions as traumatic or spontaneous rupture. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Irelan d Ltd. All rights reserved.