CHYLOTHORAX AFTER BLUNT CHEST TRAUMA - AN UNUSUAL CASE WITH A LONG LATENT PERIOD

We report on a case of closed chest trauma with an unusual latent peri od of 11 weeks in a woman 26 years old. The patient had a dual thoraci c duct with a dual lesion and was evaluated using lymphography and CT. We discuss the pathogenetic mechanism and the unusual radiological ap pearance with discontinuity of the duct, and an increase in back press ure which promotes dilatation of lymphatic vessels and nodes. The dual duct had two separate traumatic consequences: a chyloma on the right and leakage in the pleura on the left. Pleuroperitoneal shunting was e ffective after failure of conservative treatment. Two years after disc harge the patient is asymptomatic with normal chest X-ray image. She i s near term in a normal pregnancy and without signs of silent malignan cy.