Chylous Ascites in Advanced Gallbladder Cancer

Chylous ascites is a very rare occurrence in a patient with gallbladder cancer (GBC), and only six cases have been reported. We report here one such case in a 55-year-old lady who presented to us with upper abdominal pain for 6 months. A polypoidal gallbladder mass with minimal liver invasion but wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indian journal of surgery 2016-10, Vol.78 (5), p.407-408
Main Authors: Tewari, Mallika, Singh, Rupesh, Shukla, H. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ascites
Cancer
Cancer metastasis
Cardiac Surgery
Case Report
Gallbladder cancer
Gallbladder diseases
Histochemistry
Liver cirrhosis
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neurosurgery
Pediatric Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Surgery
Thoracic Surgery
Tuberculosis
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Summary:Chylous ascites is a very rare occurrence in a patient with gallbladder cancer (GBC), and only six cases have been reported. We report here one such case in a 55-year-old lady who presented to us with upper abdominal pain for 6 months. A polypoidal gallbladder mass with minimal liver invasion but with multiple subcentimeter pericholedochal, common hepatic, mesenteric, and para-aortic lymph nodes was found on contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan. At laparotomy, the abdomen had milky fluid with engorged beaded lymphatics all over the small intestine. The abdomen was closed over a drain after a lymph node biopsy and collection of the ascetic fluid for analysis. Histopathology confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma in the lymph node. The triglyceride levels in the ascetic fluid were elevated to 817.00 mg/dl. The patient was put on medium-chain triglyceride diet and a diuretic and recovered well. She was discharged when drain output was nil. Chylous ascites could be a result of abdominal malignancy, post surgery, cirrhosis, and disseminated infections like tuberculosis and filariasis. Treatment is primarily conservative and includes paracentesis/drainage of the peritoneal cavity supplemented by fasting, total parenteral nutrition, and/or diet modification with medium-chain triglyceride diet.
ISSN:0972-2068
0973-9793
DOI:10.1007/s12262-016-1528-4